John Atkin

Dal Fabbro’s Chariot was commissioned through PlanArt (London) for Beetham Organization’s landmark tower development in Liverpool. Selected through an open competition, the proposal was developed in response to the architecture of the building and its relationship to the city’s industrial and maritime heritage.

Rising 30 feet through the multi-level atrium, the sculpture draws upon forms associated with Liverpool’s shipbuilding history. Corten steel evokes the material character and industrial weight of the city’s past, while stainless-steel elements introduce a contrasting reflective surface. The work was conceived as both a focal point and a meeting place within the building, connecting its interior architecture with Liverpool’s continuing relationship to its waterfront.

Installation presented a significant technical challenge. Access to the completed lobby was restricted by a revolving glass door, requiring the sculpture to be fabricated in sections that could pass through an opening approximately 8 × 6 feet. Six principal sections were transported into the building and subsequently assembled and welded together in situ, allowing the monumental work to be installed within the already completed architectural space.