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B of the Bang sculpture by Thomas Heatherwick
B of the Bang sculpture by Thomas Heatherwick. Photograph: Christopher Thomond
B of the Bang sculpture by Thomas Heatherwick. Photograph: Christopher Thomond

B of the Bang sculpture to be scrapped

This article is more than 15 years old
Controversial public artwork to be dismantled over safety fears, Manchester councillors decide

A controversial sculpture that was intended as a monument to the 2002 Commonwealth games in Manchester but turned out to be a danger to the public is to be scrapped, councillors decided today.

B of the Bang cost £1.42m and was Britain's tallest sculpture when completed in 2005 – two years behind schedule – but from its inception it was beset by problems.

A week before its unveiling the tip of one of its spikes fell to the ground. In May 2006, nine more spikes were removed for safety tests amid fears that the sculpture, designed by Thomas Heatherwick, might pose a risk to passersby.

The installation, named after a phrase coined by Olympic gold medallist Linford Christie, who unveiled the spiky steel starburst, was dubbed KerPlunk after the similarly shaped children's game.

In November last year, the Thomas Heatherwick Studio agreed to pay Manchester city council £1.7m in an out-of-court settlement over the safety problems. The council's executive committee decided today that the sculpture should be dismantled, citing "technical problems".

Sir Richard Leese, Leader of Manchester city council, said after the meeting: "Thomas Heatherwick's B of the Bang is a magnificent artistic statement that was just right for modern Manchester. It is regrettable that technical problems have undermined that artistic vision. And so, after taking into account expert views, the only practical alternative is to take the sculpture down."

The council said parts of the sculpture would be stored for possible use as part of a rebuilt structure on the Sportcity site, either in its current location or elsewhere. But Leese emphasised that there would be no council money made available to support its rebuilding "even if the further work shows this to be a feasible option".

Manchester city council met £120,000 of the cost of building the sculpture, with the rest of the funds provided by the European Regional Development Fund, the Northwest Development Agency and English Partnerships.

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