Barons Quay - Northwich

Artist: Katayoun Dowlatshahi Client: Cheshire West and Chester Council Architect: Broadway Malyan Location: Barons Quay, Northwich, Cheshire I have been working with Cheshire West and Chester Council as Lead Artist for Northwich in Cheshire since 2012. Barons Quay is a significant new retail and leisure development on the site of Barons Quay rock salt mines, which were mined between 1791 and 1928. In 2007 an award winning project to stabilise 4 major salt mines under Northwich, enabled a building moratorium to be lifted from the town centre. This stimulated funding and inward investment for the development of the Baron’s Quay site. The contemporary build sits alongside the historic high street. The public art has three functions, to establish a visual presence for the archaeology of the mines directly below the development; to function as gateways, a transition from historic high street to the contemporary spaces and as markers along a route to aid way finding from the centre of town through to the riverside. The central concept is of the salt pillars, some as large as 9 meters square being visible in pedestrianized spaces. This development should be complete by the end of 2017.