This spectacular flight and navigation-inspired sculpture sits at the entrance to Andover Business Park. Designed by Chris, the piece pays homage to the site’s history as the former home of RAF Andover and has been beautifully engineered using galvanised steel and aluminium.

Standing at 13 metres at its highest point, the stunning work of art was funded by global integrated property group, Goodman, owner and developer of Andover Business Park.

Chris’s design celebrates some of the aircraft that have flown in the skies above Andover with the strong silhouettes in the sculpture forming a cross-section of these aircraft.

The main framework is made up of strong verticals and horizontals, which are all curved to form an exact segment of a sphere or globe. The visual use of longitude and latitude acknowledges the basis of navigation around the world. The vertical frames are strong and wide at the base, giving the piece a robust stance. These curved uprights pierce the vegetation, pushing skywards and tapering as they reach higher, taking on a more refined engineered feel as they go. An indication of aircraft construction is evident in the webs of the uprights which lighten the structure. These webs coupled with the long curves give the suggestion of a section of fuselage or wing. The three upright sections give a sense of movement and upward thrust by soaring skyward, whilst the two silhouetted aircraft on their tops give a dynamic finish to the verticals.

Interlocking the verticals are horizontal curved tubes that pierce the webs and form a vapour trail with more aircraft silhouettes cutting through the piece. The aircraft on the horizontal plane give a three dimensional feel which holds equal interest from any number of angles, generating high levels of viewer interaction. The horizontals add a spark of colour and the use of red, blue and white bring a strong connection to the RAF without a literal interpretation.

Chris Brammall, comments; "Due to the scale of the sculpture and the fascinating context surrounding the theme of the piece, Flight and Navigation has been the type of challenge which we, as a company, always look forward to.

"The opportunity to engage with the public and the various stakeholders has been highly rewarding. We feel that this has enabled us to produce a piece that accurately portrays the aspirations of everyone involved, while at the same time, creates a statement that enables the story of RAF Andover and its local community to continue on into the future."

As part of the consultation process, Chris worked with the local community including school children to develop an information panel to accompany the artwork.  It includes a fascinating mixture of memories, facts and anecdotes relating to the site.

Councilor Tony Ward, Portfolio Holder for Community and Leisure, commented: "The work of art is simply stunning. It captures beautifully the elegance and physics of flight. You can almost hear the whoosh and thrum of the engines as they score a path through the clouds. Future generations would not know about the history of the site without trawling the history books. This sculpture will act as a permanent reminder of the aircraft and military men and women who took to the skies above the town. This is such an exciting day for Andover and I hope residents and visitors will enjoy the piece for decades to come."

During the opening ceremony, the last flag to fly at RAF Andover - which had been kept safe for decades by local councilor Ian Carr - was draped over the information panel ready for the sculpture’s official unveiling.

Cllr Carr was present in his role as Leader of the Council, but also for personal interest as a former RAF Aircrew Officer based at Andover as part of 21 squadron flying Devons.  It was the last squadron to fly from the site.

Decades have passed since the Lockheed P38 Lightning and the Westland Pterodactyl soared above the town of Andover in Hampshire. This new piece of public art will mean that the aircraft will take to the skies once more.

Fast Facts

Design: Chris Brammall

Materials: Galvanised steel framework and aluminium. Some paint finish.

Dimensions: 13m high

Location: Andover, Hampshire