B of the Bang
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B of the Bang is a sculpture designed by Thomas Heatherwick erected in Manchester, England. It is the tallest self-supporting sculpture in the United Kingdom and was constructed close to the City of Manchester Stadium in order to commemorate the success of the 2002 Commonwealth Games.
The sculpture takes its name from a Linford Christie quotation in which he said that he started his races not merely at the 'bang' of the starting pistol, but at 'The B of the Bang'.
The sculpture takes the form of 180 hollow spikes radiating out of a central core. This core was constructed in Sheffield before being moved over the Pennines. Five of these spikes are anchored to the ground and provide the support for the rest of the structure. The entire sculpture is tilted at an angle of 30 degrees to the vertical, partly over a nearby road. The structure is taller and leans at a greater angle than the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The main part of the structure was put in place on August 5, 2004, and work was completed on the sculpture shortly before its unveiling by Linford Christie on January 12, 2005. Shortly before completion, on January 6, 2005 a tip section of one of the spikes fell from the structure prompting safety concerns. Initial investigations showed a poor weld was the probable cause resulting in welds being replaced on 53 out of the 180 spikes. As of June 2006, a safety fence still remains around the sculpture, however the adjacent road junction has been reopened.[1]
Its completion was delayed by some months due to an unusually wet and windy autumn. These delays and spiralling costs led the sculpture to be dubbed The G of the Bang. Locals have also christened the structure KerPlunk after the popular children's game from the 1970s.
B of the Bang stands over 183 feet (56m) tall, more than twice the height of the Angel of the North and only slightly shorter than Nelson's Column.
