Latest news with #TowerofNow
BBC News
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Bradford sculptor unveils Tower of Now as part of UK City of Culture
A Bradford sculptor has described the unveiling of a huge tower in his home city as a "landmark" in his Qureshi was asked to create the 49ft (15m) Tower of Now sculpture by the Bradford 2025 team to celebrate the district's UK City of Culture sculptor, who has exhibited in London, New York and New Delhi, said the installation of the tower marked the culmination of a three-year project. Tower of Now is set to be officially unveiled on Saturday and will remain in the newly extended Norfolk Gardens until March 2026. Mr Qureshi, 39, said: "It's incredibly exciting and I also feel quite emotional about it. "Bradford is where it all started for me, so to be able to come back and make something particularly special is a landmark moment for me on a personal level." Mr Qureshi, the third generation of his family to live in Bradford, moved from Pakistan to Heaton at the age of eight."I am feeling so emotional at the moment because this is a journey of generations, from my grandparents arriving in Bradford, to my father, and to myself," he said."It's all the hopes and the dreams and the prayers - I feel like this is the moment they all kind of led to." Originally intended to play soundscapes featuring voices in different languages, the tower has since been changed to a solely visual piece of top is a copy of a spire from a Christian church, with sections representing other religions including Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism and is also a section replicating part of Bradford City Hall's bell tower. Mr Qureshi added: "My idea was to borrow elements from these different buildings and knit them together so that they sit in harmony in this one beautiful column." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
City centre park opens after major works completed
A city centre park the size of a football pitch has opened to the public after construction works were completed. Norfolk Gardens, next to Bradford City Hall, has been expanded over the newly pedestrianised Hall Ings to create a new green space. Plants, trees and turf were added at the start of spring and, after being given time to settle, contractors have removed the fencing around the park. Stepping stones which mark the historic watercourse of the Bowling Beck that runs beneath the garden have also been installed. Work is continuing, however, on a neighbouring "parklet" on the former NCP car park site, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. A temporary sculpture – the Tower of Now – is being installed on that site this week. Norfolk Gardens, announced late last year, marks the final phase of a major £45m infrastructure project delivered by Bradford Council and West Yorkshire Combined Authority. It is part of the Transforming Cities Fund, awarded by the government in 2020. The 10,000 sq m (2.5 acre) area includes green spaces, flower beds, new seating areas and cycle lanes. More than 7,700 plants and shrubs of 173 different species including 57 trees have been planted, boosting local biodiversity. Tree varieties include birch, rowan, maple, lime and juneberry, with cherry trees to form a boulevard. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. 'Milestone' as city centre park nears completion Planting for new city park to begin City's new park to be completed by spring New city park will be larger than football ground Bradford Council Local Democracy Reporting Service
BBC News
23-04-2025
- General
- BBC News
Bradford's Norfolk Gardens park opens after major works completed
A city centre park the size of a football pitch has opened to the public after construction works were Gardens, next to Bradford City Hall, has been expanded over the newly pedestrianised Hall Ings to create a new green trees and turf were added at the start of spring and, after being given time to settle, contractors have removed the fencing around the stones which mark the historic watercourse of the Bowling Beck that runs beneath the garden have also been installed. Work is continuing, however, on a neighbouring "parklet" on the former NCP car park site, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.A temporary sculpture – the Tower of Now – is being installed on that site this week. Norfolk Gardens, announced late last year, marks the final phase of a major £45m infrastructure project delivered by Bradford Council and West Yorkshire Combined is part of the Transforming Cities Fund, awarded by the government in 10,000 sq m (2.5 acre) area includes green spaces, flower beds, new seating areas and cycle than 7,700 plants and shrubs of 173 different species including 57 trees have been planted, boosting local varieties include birch, rowan, maple, lime and juneberry, with cherry trees to form a boulevard. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
BBC News
27-02-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Bradford culture sculpture celebrates 'incredible city'
A 50ft (15m) sculpture to be installed in Bradford as part of its City of Culture year was inspired by the area's multiculturalism, its creator has Saad Qureshi, who moved with his family from Pakistan to Heaton at the age of eight, said he had designed the Tower of Now to celebrate the "incredible" city's intended to play soundscapes featuring voices in different languages, the tower has since been changed to a solely visual piece of Qureshi, 39, said the sculpture, on the site of the former Hall Ings car park, represented a "culmination of these beautiful cultures and traditions that co-exist" in Bradford. Mr Qureshi, whose work has been exhibited in shows in London, New York and New Delhi, said his formative years in Bradford had always inspired his he said that when he had first told his family he wanted to be an artist, "there was a lot of hesitation initially, from my parents particularly, about what this is going to lead to".Mr Qureshi said it was his art teacher at school, Mrs Robinson, who saw a talent that needed to be nurtured."She was the one that really inspired me and believed in me and convinced my parents that I should study art," he spending his first eight years in Bewal, a small town in rural Pakistan, Mr Qureshi said that on arrival in Bradford he faced having to familiarise himself with a whole new culture and ways of expressing himself."I had to relearn how to communicate in a new language," he said."Art class was my safe space and I remember Mrs Robinson saying, 'if you can't say it, do it'."It was really wonderful for me to be able to develop this visual language." Speaking about the inspiration for his Tower of Now sculpture, which is due to remain in its site in the centre of Bradford until March next year, Mr Qureshi said it was intended to highlight what was special about the city."I've taken small snippets and elements of sacred architecture from different traditions, cultures, religions, and I have woven them together so it sits in harmony in this one single column," he said."If you look at the sculpture, the narrowest part is down at the base of it, so it really talks about this perfect balance that multiculturalism requires."I genuinely feel Bradfordians have this very unique identity that only exists in Bradford, which is a culmination of these beautiful cultures and traditions that co-exist in the city."With Bradford City of Culture 2025 now well under way, and months of special events still ahead, Mr Qureshi said it was "high time Bradford got its due for being the incredible city it is"."I was only very happy and excited that we are finally celebrating what should have been celebrated all along," he to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.
BBC News
10-02-2025
- BBC News
Bradford's new city centre park to be completed by spring
Construction of a new football-pitch sized park that will replace one of Bradford's busiest roads is well underway and is expected to be completed by the spring. Norfolk Gardens is being expanded across Hall Ings as part of the Transforming Cities Fund work that has already seen large parts of the city centre pedestrianised over the past park will include a stone mermaid sculpture, 20 species of trees and a series of "stepping stones". Planting will also take place in the coming weeks and the park's designers aim to "reference the city's wool history", said Bradford Council. The urban park will stretch from Bridge Street to Jacob's Well. Landscape designers have also researched the natural dyes that have been used in the area for more than 150 years and chosen species of plants from which the local dyes were colours chosen for the new planted area include claret, amber, red, and black which give a nod to the colours of many of the district's sports clubs. The Norfolk Gardens memorial area will remain in the same place and a Covid memorial rose bed has been relocated.A "pocket park" on the site of the former NCP car park is also being developed and will host the Tower of Now sculpture, a 49ft (15m) tall piece of art commissioned for Bradford's City of Culture previous government announced funding for the scheme as part of its Transforming Cities Fund package of work to make Bradford more pleasant for pedestrians in March 2020, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.
