The Tunstall Shard Unveiled at Alexandra Park!

The Tunstall Shard Unveiled at Alexandra Park!

19 January 2009

 The new sculpture - The Tunstall Shard - has been unveiled in a dedication ceremony held at  Stoke- on-Trent's Alexandra Retail Park.

 School children, councillors and local residents were among the crowds who turned up to see The Shard for the first time - the sculpture is the work of internationally acclaimed sculptor Robert Erskine.

 The Shard is positioned in pride of place in the new retail development which has just been completed at Tunstall, in Stoke-on-Trent, it has been built on a former Wedgwood site.

  It is the latest phase in the  ongoing regeneration of the area by Barnsley based Dransfield Properties which has brought £24 million of investment to the area in recent years - the company has also funded the work of art.

 The sculpture is 30 ft high and 30 ft wide and weighs almost 7 tonnes, it depicts an ancient fingerprint on a Shard of pottery and is made out of wrought steel - designed to stand the test of time.

 A special dedication ceremony was held to celebrate The Shard being unveiled - pupils  from the nearby Mill Hill Primary School also buried time capsules at the site of the new sculpture to mark the event.

 The sculptor Robert Erskine said: “It is wonderful to see The Shard in the position it was made for and I hope it will be here for many years to come and enjoyed by everyone. I have been delighted to work with Dransfield Properties on this piece and hope it celebrates the talent and the history of the area."

 Andrew Malley Retail Property Director for Dransfield Properties said: “The Shard is an important part of the wider improvements and development work we are involved with in Tunstall and we are delighted to see the work  at Alexandra Park and to have worked with Robert on the project."

For further information, contact:

Public Relations Department, Dransfield Properties Ltd
Tel: 01226 360644
Email: pr@dransfield.co.uk