MORGAN Sindall looks set to secure a £1.7 million contract to manufacture and install a stainless steel whale sculpture, hard landscaping and interactive play park in Dundee.
Dundee City Council’s development committee will meet on January 25 to discuss the contract.
The humpback whale, designed by award-winning British artist Lee Simmons, will be the centrepiece of the northern entrance of the city’s Waterfront Place – with the tail arching towards the Tay to capture a sense of movement.
A multi-sensory park will come alongside the sculpture. The local authority said it will give visitors a multi-sensory experience. Sound and light will be used alongside stainless steel tubular maze structures to act as kelp-like forests or water columns.
Mark Flynn, committee convener, said, “The quality of the work at Waterfront Place is critical to ensuring that visitors and local people feel like they are not just in one of the city’s prime spots, but in one of the best locations in Scotland. It is also vital that the sculpture is durable and able to withstand the marine environment at the waterfront, while also being low maintenance.
“The size, scale and unique complexity of the whale sculpture has meant that limited suppliers are capable of manufacturing it despite engaging with a local fabricator. Local sub-contractors have been working at the site and our partnership arrangement for the Active Travel Hub is also with a local community interest company.”
