John Betjeman
by Martin Jennings
Public art commission
St. Pancras Station, London
2007
CLIENT:London & Continental Railways
Futurecity were appointed in 2007 by London & Continental Railways to to contribute to the restoration of St Pancras International and the building of High Speed 1 by commissioning a sculpture of John Betjeman to be permanently sited on the main concourse of the newly redeveloped St Pancras Station.
Futurecity shortlisted three artists to produce proposals, from which sculptor Martin Jennings was selected by a high profile panel including Betjeman's daughter Candida Lycett-Green and Prof. Brian Falconbridge, President of the Royal British Society of Sculptors to produce a full figure to be sited on the main concourse of the station. Extracts from Betjeman's poetry were also be hand-carved by Martin into slate roundels and embedded in the station floor.
The sculpture pays homage to the man instrumental in the fight to save St Pancras in 1966 when the station came under threat of demolition. Futurecity developed the client's original brief from a bust on a plinth to a larger than life-size full figure sited standing in one of the most prominent parts of the station.
Futurecity shortlisted three artists to produce proposals, from which sculptor Martin Jennings was selected by a high profile panel including Betjeman's daughter Candida Lycett-Green and Prof. Brian Falconbridge, President of the Royal British Society of Sculptors to produce a full figure to be sited on the main concourse of the station. Extracts from Betjeman's poetry were also be hand-carved by Martin into slate roundels and embedded in the station floor.
The sculpture pays homage to the man instrumental in the fight to save St Pancras in 1966 when the station came under threat of demolition. Futurecity developed the client's original brief from a bust on a plinth to a larger than life-size full figure sited standing in one of the most prominent parts of the station.