The Spirit of Brighton
| Browse information by: Location Makers General Information Classification Object Parts Object Condition History References Photographs |  Author: Postcard Copyright for Photograph: Creative Commons |
Location
| Street: | Western Road |
| Town: | Brighton |
| Parish: | Brighton |
| Council: | Brighton & Hove City Council |
| County: | East Sussex |
| Postcode: | BN1 |
| Location on Google Map | |
| Object setting: | Outside building |
| Access is: | Public |
| Location note: | Used to stand in Churchill Square, in front of Chartwell Court |
| In the AZ book: | East Sussex |
| Page: | 162 |
| Grid reference: | C7 |
| The A-Z books used are A-Z East Sussex and A-Z West Sussex (Editions 1A 2005). Geographers' A-Z Map Company Ltd. Sevenoaks. | |
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Makers
| Name : | William George Mitchell |
| Role: | Sculptor |
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General Information
| Commissioned by: | Brighton & Hove City Council |
| Installation date: | 1968 |
| Unveiling date: | 11/10/1968 |
| Work is: | Lost |
| Owner custodian: | Standard Life Investments |
| Object listing: | Not listed |
| Description: | The sculpture was sand-blasted and included sculpted rockery with tumbling water features. It was also originally to be laquered, including pieces of gold mosaic meant to catch the sun. There were shrubs around the base and the sculpture was floodlit. |
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Classification
| Categories: | Free Standing, Sculptural, Abstract |
| Object type1: | Sculpture |
| Subject type1: | Non-figurative |
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Object Parts
| Part 1: | Entire sculpture |
| Material: | Concrete |
| Height (cm): | 915 |
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Object Condition
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History
| History: | The sculpture stood in the centre of the original 15 acre Churchill Square shopping centre. The shopping centre was originally proposed in 1935 but not formerly opened until 11 October 1968 by Mayor Thomas Taylor. It had cost £9m. It was planned by Sir Hugh Casson, Brighton’s Consultant Architect, and Russell Diplock Associates in conjunction with Myton Ltd, a member of the Taylor Woodrow Group. The centre was opened in 1972 and named after Sir Winston Churchill who was a Freeman of Brighton. Demolition of the original site commenced in January 1996. The main construction programme commenced August 1996 and the new centre opened 4 September 1998.
The sculpture was demolished by Standard Life Investments in 1992 and replaced with a bandstand as a temporary measure before commencement of the development of the Square. (Standard Life Investments) |
| Hard archive file: | Yes |
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References
Further information: | |
| www.mybrightonandhove.org.uk/page_id__5562_path__0p115p208p505p.aspx | |
| www.william-mitchell.com/ | |
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Photographs
Author: Postcard Copyright: Creative Commons | |
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