Coast Line

Coast Line 

The first of a series of new open spaces for Workington has been completed and opened to the public. Coast Line, a new town square designed by Simon Hitchens, was opened in April 2006 by the Mayor of Workington, and celebrated with a performance by a new group of young drummers called Beat it Up!  The space is in one of the most prominent town centre locations in Workington, just off Washington Street, and forms a focal point for visitors coming into Workington whilst providing shoppers with an area to rest, meet and chat. 

Coast Line consists of twelve large sculptural seats carved and sawn from boulders of red granite locally quarried at Shap, with some seats featuring cast clear resin bases. A 4 metre high polished granite and resin sculpture forms the centrepiece. Coast Line also incorporates a bike rack and a ‘leaning stone’. 

The area is paved in three colours of granite which delineate a map of the west Cumbrian coast. At night blue pinpoint LED lights pick out the ‘Coast Line’, and red LED lights illuminate the underside of the granite and resin seats, bringing the space to life. A shaft of white light shines up through the cast resin section of the resin and granite central monolith. 

About the artist

Simon Hitchens is a sculptor based in Somerset who was shortlisted for the Jerwood Sculpture Prize in 2005 and has had several important commissions including ‘Shining Silence’ which occupies a site opposite Harrods in London. Coast Line is Simon’s most ambitious project to date. 

Photographs by Roger Lee, Charlie Hedley and Simon Hitchens © 2006 

Website
www.simonhitchens.com