Making a landmark (From News Shopper)

Making a landmark

12:33pm Wednesday 14th May 2008

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If the reader comments beneath the recent news items are anything to go by, then the proposals for the Ebbsfleet Landmark aren’t altogether popular.

This doesn’t come as a massive surprise, as a lot of people were adverse to the idea long before the designs were even unveiled.

Everyone seems to be clinging to the same idea the landmark must to reflect the heritage and historical identity of the region. “We should have a traditional emblem of Kent”, read the arguments.

But what about the modern face of north Kent? With so much regeneration – the colossal Ebbsfleet Valley development (where whole new communities are planned) and the Eurostar connection, for example – surely the landmark should also be representative of the area’s future.

Another good handful of critics asked “Why don’t the residents get to decide,” feeling usurped and excluded from the process, despite the fact a public consultation to find out what residents (and beyond) think about the designs was planned long ago.

Whether the commissioning panel will act on suggestions from the public, of course, is another matter. And what are the people going to say? “I don’t want that one” to all designs in a Little Britain character echo?

Hopefully the criticism at the consultation will be constructive, not just an overall damning of the designs as we’ve largely seen so far. There’s bound to be scope for the public’s ideas to develop the proposals into pieces of art all will appreciate.

At the moment it feels like the doubters, in tandem with the Kentish horse emblem they wish for, are defensively rearing up on their hind legs without real consideration and this disliking of the Ebbsfleet Landmark for the sake of it is saddening.

It has such great potential to put the, as yet undefined, area of Ebbsfleet on the tourism map for culture, prove it is more than a train station and attract droves of sight-seers.

Interestingly, some early responses to Anthony Gormley’s iconic Angel of the North when it was first outlined were equally as frosty. At the time Gateshead councillor, Martin Callanan, many local residents, and some national newspapers were strongly opposed to the sculpture.

But it has since gone on to become a strong feature in the area’s identity. Few would argue its magnificence now.

Despite a specification which will make the sculpture bigger (twice the size) than the Angel of the North, it seems nothing (in the sceptics’ eyes) will make it better.

Or can it?

Would you warm more to Wallinger’s horse design if it were made of cast iron, or Rachel Whiteread’s recycled house if it wasn’t perched on a mini-mountain of waste and was more like a three-bed semi?

To see the designs click here