World class
gallery leads Wakefield’s
cultural revival...
Wakefield Waterfront’s prestigious new gallery, The
Hepworth Wakefield, moved a step closer with the announcement
in August 2006 that Laing O’Rourke had been named
as preferred contractor. The contractor will start site
preparation work in the autumn and the main construction
early in 2007.
UNIQUE GIFT
Wakefield District is the birthplace of modern British
sculpture. Two of the greatest sculptors of the 20th
century were born and went to school in the District
- Barbara Hepworth in Wakefield and Henry Moore in
nearby Castleford. The Hepworth Wakefield will provide
exciting opportunities to celebrate this rich cultural
heritage in a way that is appropriate to their achievements
and long-term legacies.
A central gallery in The Hepworth Wakefield will feature
a unique collection of Barbara Hepworth’s original
plaster sculptures. Pride of place will go to Moore’s
Reclining Figure, carved in Elmwood, (1936) and Hepworth’s
early carvings, including Mother and Child, (1934) and
Pierced Hemisphere, (1937).
The Hepworth Wakefield will also house the internationally
recognised fine and decorative art collections held by
Wakefield Art Gallery which cannot currently be fully
displayed. Collections date from the 16th to 21st centuries,
with outstanding strengths in 20th century British art
and including major works by leading artists such as
James Tissot, LS Lowry, Roger Fry, Duncan Grant, Ben
Nicholson and Anthony Caro. The rarely seen Gott collection
of artist’s views of Yorkshire and beyond will
also be featured.
Commissioned by Wakefield Council, The Hepworth Wakefield
is due to open in two years time. Included in the project
is a footbridge across the River Calder to link The Hepworth
Wakefield and the Waterfront to the City Centre.
Wakefield Council, Arts Council England, the Heritage
Lottery Fund, Yorkshire Forward and the European Regional
Development Fund have all committed funding to the project.
NEW TRUST LAUNCHED ….
A new charitable trust company, The Hepworth Wakefield
Trust, was launched in May 2006 in the presence of David
Lammy MP Minister for Culture. Initially, the trust will
raise funds towards the cost of the new building. Once
The Hepworth Wakefield is open, the trust will fundraise
to support the artistic and education programming.
Speaking at the launch, David Lammy MP Minister for Culture
said: “… it is important to have buildings
that create a sense of awe because it helped stimulate
creativity, and The Hepworth Wakefield was just such
a building”.
The launch event, which was hosted by Barbara Hepworth’s
former school, Wakefield Girls High School, was a huge
success attracting over 200 guests and eminent speakers.
Local musicians, performing street artists and a dancer
from Kalasangam, provided entertainment.
THE BIGGER PICTURE …
It is hard to imagine a more stunning location for a
contemporary gallery and creative space. The Hepworth
Wakefield will look proudly over the River Calder. It
will symbolise the city’s capacity to reinvent
itself from its industrial past. It will open up the
18th century river navigation and support the conservation
and restoration of an exciting group of former mill and
warehouse buildings as part of the regeneration of the
Waterfront.
The new gallery will be complemented by the Waterfront
masterplan, which is being developed by CTP St James
in partnership with British Waterways and Wakefield Council.
The Waterfront scheme will substantially transform the
southern gateway into the City centre. Historic warehouses
and mills will be sympathetically restored which, together
with new contemporary architecture, will provide a mix
of high quality residential, office and leisure accommodation.
| John Foster, the Council’s
Chief Executive, said that Laing O’Rourke’s
bid for what will be a major public sector project
was impressive. “They are a good company and
we like their professional approach and that they
could demonstrate experience of work on cultural
buildings such as the Grand Theatre in Leeds,” he
said. |
Cllr Peter Box, Leader of Wakefield
Council said that he was delighted that work was
about to start.
“
This is a major public sector contribution to the
regeneration of the Waterfront area and will transform
that part of the City Centre. The building, designed
by British architect David Chipperfield, will be
of national and international significance and I
am especially pleased that our preferred bidder is
a company with strong local links. The Hepworth Wakefield
will be a fitting home to the City’s outstanding
collection of work by 20th century artists and it
will put the City on the cultural map of Britain.” |
| Dan Doherty, Director of Laing
O’Rourke in Yorkshire and a Wakefield resident,
said: “We are delighted to be involved with
The Hepworth Wakefield project. It is a scheme that
will truly put Wakefield on the map, locally, nationally
and internationally and will act as a catalyst to
regenerating the Waterfront.” |
 NEW TRUST LAUNCHED…
A new charitable trust company, The Hepworth Wakefield
Trust, was launched in May 2006 in the presence of
David Lammy MP Minister for Culture. Initially, the
trust will raise funds towards the cost of the new
building. Once The Hepworth Wakefield is open, the
trust will fundraise to support the artistic and education
programming.
Speaking at the launch, David Lammy MP Minister for
Culture said: “… it is important to have buildings
that create a sense of awe because it helped stimulate
creativity, and The Hepworth Wakefield was just such
a building”.
The launch event, which was hosted by Barbara Hepworth’s
former school, Wakefield Girls High School, was a huge
success attracting over 200 guests and eminent speakers.
Local musicians, performing street artists and a dancer
from Kalasangam, provided entertainment.
 THE
BIGGER PICTURE…
It is hard to imagine a more stunning location for
a contemporary gallery and creative space. The
Hepworth Wakefield will look proudly over the River
Calder. It will symbolise the city’s capacity
to reinvent itself from its industrial past. It
will open up the 18th century river navigation
and support the conservation and restoration of
an exciting group of former mill and warehouse
buildings as part of the regeneration of the Waterfront.
The new gallery will be complemented by the Waterfront
masterplan, which is being developed by CTP St James
in partnership with British Waterways and Wakefield
Council. The Waterfront scheme will substantially
transform the southern gateway into the City centre.
Historic warehouses and mills will be sympathetically
restored which, together with new contemporary architecture,
will provide a mix of high quality residential, office
and leisure accommodation. |
(With the model of The Hepworth Wakefield (from left)
Architect David Chipperfield, Wakefield Cabinet Member
for Regeneration Cllr Phil Dobson, David Lammy MP Minister
for Culture, Wakefield Council Chief Executive John Foster
and Mary Creagh MP for Wakefield)
‘Building Bridges
- The Hepworth Wakefield’ exhibition
at Wakefield Art Gallery 23/09/06 - 29/10/06
An insight into the plans for Wakefield’s new
gallery bringing architectural graphics and models
to life by
inviting the public to think about what this exciting
project will mean to them.
To join the mailing list for
The Hepworth Wakefield Email:
hepworthwakefield@wakefield.gov.uk or contact
The Hepworth Wakefield Project Team, FREEPOST NEA 8970,
Wakefield WF1 1BR
Tel: 01924 305796. See also our website: www.wakefield.gov.uk click
on Leisure and Culture.
|
