A piece of public art is to be commissioned by the City of Edinburgh Council as part of the development of Granton Gasholder Park, which is being delivered as part of the £1.3 billion regeneration of Granton Waterfront.
In February, the council invited locally-based artists and creative practitioners to develop ideas for the new artwork to be co-created with the local community.
Locals and visitors to Granton Waterfront will be given a sneak peek of six shortlisted designs for the new piece being exhibited at Granton Station from Thursday 18 – Saturday 20 July.
Ideas for the selected pieces have been taken from community interests and themes connected to Granton and all of the artists have provided opportunities for the local community to participate in the design process.
One artist will be chosen by a panel of experts from the City of Edinburgh and West Lothian councils as well as creative and cultural charitable organisations. The winner will be announced later this month and when it is open, the artwork will be one of the focal points in the new iconic Granton gasholder park.
The Granton Gasholder and surrounding area has an important position within the £1.3bn Granton Waterfront regeneration, with active travel routes and green space connecting Waterfront Broadway and the coastal park.
The space within the restored gasholder is to have multi-sensory play zones, a dedicated area for permanent and temporary public art and one for relaxation, outdoor trails, and tracks for exercise as well as a large outdoor space for sports, markets, seasonal events, community use, festivals, performance arts, exhibitions, and play. Work will also be carried out to plant trees, shrubs and wildflowers improving biodiversity and local habitat in the area.
City of Edinburgh Council leader Cammy Day said, “The gasholder plays such an important role in the £1.3bn regeneration of Granton Waterfront. The structure itself is currently being refurbished allowing it to become a place where the local community and other visitors will come together to enjoy outdoor space as well as other cultural activities. It is really important that they are involved in this project which is why local people have been working with all of the artists to help to produce each final design. I’m really looking forward to seeing the exhibition and very excited to see which design is taken forward to be an engaging artwork in the new park.”
