Beetham Tower, Radisson SAS Liverpool

A collaborative project to commission works for the lobby of the Radisson SAS hotel on the Liverpool waterfront.

Client: Beetham Organization
Artists: John Atkin and Rupert Burt
Architects: Aedas
Local Authority: Liverpool City Council

           

Background

The hotel is located within the new Beetham Tower, a 32 floor residential building fronting the Mersey at the heart of the developments in Old Hall Street, Liverpool.

Concept

The sculpture commission for the lobby produced by John Atkin, Dal Fabbro's Chariot, unifies the space in which it is sited by combining the industrial quality of the dominant architectural feature, the lift shaft, with some of the softer qualities with the bar and furnishings.

John describes the combination of the derelict rolling stock and the 1930’s furniture of Mario Dal Fabbro, as having a sympathy of scale, form and function that was appropriate to the realisation of this project with Beetham. The work intellectually locates the hotel within a rich industrial heritage, as well as a vibrant contemporary sphere.

Rupert was commissioned to produce an installation that combined painting, photography and digital manipulation, which wrapped around the entire triangular 1st floor.

The large format photographs were installed on seven walls and stretched from floor to ceiling and edge-to-edge. The initial concept was to create a work of art that appeared flush to the walls; the dimensions were approximately 3.5 x 30 metres. The organic imagery based on Burt's paintings created a stark contrast to the triangular atrium and imposing lift shaft. The use of colour, repetitive forms and scale resulted in an atmospheric and enveloping installation.