Monumental 30ft bronze sculpture craned into Edinburgh park

A 30 ft bronze sculpture by one of David Bowie’s favourite artists has been craned into its new home at Edinburgh Park.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Let us know what you think and join the conversation at the bottom of this article.

Reach for the Stars by pioneering sculptor Kenneth Armitage is the first of a collection of notable artworks being brought in to turn the area into a new cultural destination for Scotland’s capital, developers said.

Several more sculptures will be delivered in the coming months as part of Parabola’s arts strategy for the area. Edinburgh Park will also host one of the outdoor arenas for major performances at this year’s Edinburgh Festival.

Reach for the Stars by Kenneth ArmitageReach for the Stars by Kenneth Armitage
Reach for the Stars by Kenneth Armitage
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Parabola’s new Edinburgh Park Southern Phase masterplan is one of the UK’s biggest zero carbon mixed-use property developments.

The monumental sculpture is one of a series of cultural initiatives intended to create a new arts quarter out of the £500 million development which includes Mach1, a new arts and exhibition centre designed by Scottish sculptor and installation artist David Mach RA, as well as offices for 10,000 workers in addition to the some 12,000 already on the park. As well as commercial buildings, there will be 1,800 private residential, build-to-rent and affordable homes.

Commenting on the installation of the sculpture, Parabola chairman Peter Millican said: “We are very excited to see ‘Reach for the Stars’ installed in its new home at Edinburgh Park where it can be seen by visitors arriving by tram, road and rail. It’s a truly magnificent piece, and I hope others find it as inspirational as I do.”

Several more sculptures will be delivered in the coming months as part of developer Parabola’s arts strategy for the area.Several more sculptures will be delivered in the coming months as part of developer Parabola’s arts strategy for the area.
Several more sculptures will be delivered in the coming months as part of developer Parabola’s arts strategy for the area.

Yorkshire-born Kenneth Armitage is recognised as a pioneer of modern sculpture and is known for his large semi-abstract works characterised by movement. He was awarded with a CBE in 1969 and won the Biennale prize for a sculptor under 45.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Reach for the Stars (2001) portrays a hand shaped like a star supported on an arm that is both human and architectural.

Parabola’s arts strategy for Edinburgh Park includes major sculptural works by Eduardo Paolozzi and Bruce Beasley. David Mach RA has been commissioned to develop his first sculptural building - Mach 1.

Dovecot Studios is on schedule to complete a major tapestry based on Leon Kossoff’s painting Study from 'Minerva Protects Pax from Mars' by Rubens (1981) which will hang in 1 New Park Square that will complete later this year.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.