A colourful and artistic tribute to the fallen soldiers of World War One has been installed as part of a regeneration scheme in the Birmingham suburb of Shirley. We were approached back in 2015 to bring to life the 'Poppy Island' design which sits on the roundabout between Haslucks Green Road and Stratford Road.
CGI c/o SR Davis Architects
Part of the former Powergen site regeneration by Shirley Advance, the roundabout provides a pedestrianised walkway connecting two crossings at each end. Either side sees a total of 18 poppy stems with GRP (fibreglass) flowerheads reaching upwards in various directions.
The project was planned to coincide with the 100 year anniversary of the Great War, and also comprises of a new housing development called 'Poppy Fields' and a retirement village.
GRP worked with SR Davis Architects during the design stage, submitting a sample petal in preparation for the public consultation. Once a final design was agreed, we worked with a local Patternmaker to create a veined, four petal head with a black centre. The rear held a spigot, to connect to a stainless steel, section bent stem which then fitted to a separate base plate, provided by businesses within a 5 mile radius.
Fibreglass was chosen as part of the sculpture due to its longevity and weatherproof qualities as well its ability to form unique shapes and textures.
Each hand-layed moulding was pigmented in a rich red RAL colour as specified by the designers.
Photo credit: Elliott Brown via Flickr
The groundworks contract was awarded to Fitzgerald Contractors Ltd, another local Midlands company, who completed a smooth install in time for Armistice Day 2017. Public opinion of the new landmark has been very positive, with some great feedback on social media from residents of the area.
Photo credit: Karl Leach via Facebook
For more information on the project follow this link
Further images from Elliott Brown available via Flickr