Black Country Route
This is a monument of enshrined pressure; physical industrial pressure, the power to compress.
The centre section embodies “across” under considerable strain. They appear as huge horizontal buffers pushing outward to maintain the discipline of the overall structure. Their collapse would cause the complete downfall of all the other dependant features. Every industry has integrated and related aspects all interdependent with the rest. The failure of one area can relate to the extinction of another.
As can also be seen from the scale model of this piece, it incorporates the mitre-jointing of sizeable amounts of heavy gauge box section and angle iron to produce the effect of roofing elements. The horizontal buffers would be produced by Claydon Architectural Metalwork from crushed and compressed pipe. The central window contains a vertical version of the twisted chain footbridge fence, as a visual pun on the tethering of opposing features.