Aspire

As part of the practice's ongoing design work on the University of Nottingham's Jubilee Campus, Make was commissioned to create a public artwork to stand at the heart of the site. Designed to mark the transformation of Jubilee Campus while serving as an orientation point and landmark within the scheme, the structure takes the shape of a slender tubular steel lattice which is 60 metres in height - reflecting the fact that the campus celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2008.The physical form of the sculpture has been determined by the need to create a structure which has a distinctive presence but does not overpower its surroundings. The tapered profile means that it sits lightly on the ground plane and leads the eye upwards as it unfurls, while the latticework effect enhances the strong vertical emphasis and ensures that it does not sit heavily in the landscape.Following the commission, the university held a competition for students and staff, inviting those who will actually experience the sculpture as part of their daily environment to name it. The competition drew over 400 entries, with the winning name chosen for the structure being 'Aspire'.