LIONS OF HUDDERSFIELD.
SUBMISSION. 2022

The West Yorkshire town of Huddersfield has around 200 depictions. It is unknown why there are so many; it is understood that it stems from the building boom of the  Victorians with the use of lions as a symbol of strength and empire. This sculptural submission for the town was an homage to this obscure cultural phenomena.

A consideration of ‘Play and Reflection’ is expressed via engineering, architectural materials, details and processes synonymous with the town’s history. Engineering/fabrication was the foundation of Huddersfield university thus, the locally made sculpture is a myriad of seemingly floating steel ‘windows’.

In keeping with the largely Victorian buildings which often incorporated intricate cut, stained and hand painted leaded glass windows. Each steel body panel will act as a window to the town holding toughened double glazed leaded glass panels; a method patented by local firm Touchstone.

Windows reflect the viewer with play into and through scenes of Huddersfield’s uniquely diverse culture and architecture using hand-cut, hand-painted clear and reflective glass.

The 4 sided plinth houses the main power and control box and is made using heritage dry stone walling techniques from locally sourced Yorkshire stone, one of the main building materials used during the industrial revolution.

The lion sculpture is transformed by day or especially at night sitting on top of an LED light panel. Manufactured by fabrication experts Stage One in Yorkshire, the IP rated, metal encased weatherproof light panel would change the colour of the sculpture to a vast array of pre-programmed combinations, celebrating any occasion from a Huddersfield Town FC win, Pride, Grenadian Independence to St Patrick’s Day.