Leeds City Council and Network Rail would like to animate the internal walls of Bishopgate Street Steps, a high footfall and prominent location adjacent to the busiest train station in the north of England. The steps are within a tunnel which runs from New Station Street down to Bishopgate Street adjacent to Leeds Station. We are looking for eye catching and vibrant designs that are appropriate to the location.

Site: The commision consists of the internal walls within the Bishopgate Street steps adjacent to Leeds Train Station. There are two walls, each is around 2.2metres high, and one is 14.5 metres long and one is about 20metres long.

Objectives:

• To aesthetically improve this key gateway to and from the city centre, which receives footfall of hundreds of people per hour at peak times. Leeds City Station is the busiest station in the North of England and this is one of its key entrances/exits.
• To provide an opportunity for local artists to display their work in a key city centre location.
• To help to increase the variety and number of public art installations across Leeds city centre.

The Challenge:

• Bishopgate Street Steps are in a poor state of repair aesthetically so a programme of small scale works (new lighting, vegetation removal, improving signage) is being undertaken.
• As part of this, the opportunity of brightening up the ‘tunnel’ is being explored through the installation of a paintwork-based artwork.
• The artwork should be installed on the inner walls of the tunnel.

Constraints and Issues to Address:

• It’s a very busy location so work will have to be undertaken when the steps are closed, which is between 2200 and 0500 each day.
• No physical additions or cladding should be affixed to the walls, ceiling or steps – this is a paintwork based commission only.
• The area is graffitied frequently. We hope that the addition of artwork will help to mitigate this but some graffiti is inevitable. We ask you to take this into account and consider whether big bold patterns are more appropriate than intricate designs, which may be more difficult to redo if it is graffitied.
• We also insist that a clear anti-graffiti coating is used post installation such as Graffiti Magic https://www.protectivecoatingsint.com/project/graffiti-magic/

Theme

There are no specific themes or design criteria for this commission, however we encourage artists to create a design that is vibrant, eye catching and appeals to a broad range of audiences and ages.

How to submit your proposal

Submit the following by 5pm on Wednesday 18th July 2018.

Your CV

Examples of your previous, relevant work experience

Your thoughts on how you would approach the commission with sketch designs if you wish

A full quote for the work, should you win the commission, to include:

• One site visit with the client team
• Your design fee
• A short period of design refinement with the client team
• All materials including the anti-graffiti coating
• Installation including any barriers, H&S related equipment and prepping the site

We recommend you visit the site in advance to understand the nature of how the area operates and to take full meaurements.

General assessment criteria

A small panel will assess the submissions comprising Leeds City Council staff and members of the local interest group in that area of the city centre. We will look at:

• Your relevant experience
• Your approach to the commission
• Your quote