Manchester

B of the Bang

Alan Turing WaySportcity

Commissioned to commemorate the 2002 Commonwealth games, the B of the Bang is the tallest piece of sculpture in England, at over 183 feet (56 metres) – making it more than twice the height of the Angel of the North. It was designed by Thomas Heatherwick and named after Linford Christie’s quote on when to set off in a sprint (not just at the bang of the pistol, but at the ‘b’ of the bang). Constructed from rust-proof ‘weathering steel’, the sculpture’s 180 spikes radiate outwards from a central core, resembling a dramatic frozen firework explosion. It is visible for miles when illuminated at night. With blackly humorous ill-timing, some of its spike tips loosened and fell soon after its unveiling (by Christie) in 2005, and its immediate surrounds have since been fenced off for safety reasons.

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