New public art sculpture commissioned for Sheffield’s Pennine Five development

A stunning new six-metre-high art sculpture has been designed to sit at the heart of the Pennine Five refurbishment in Sheffield city centre.  

Owner RBH Properties has commissioned local artist Coralie Turpin, who is based at Yorkshire Artspace on Brown Street in Sheffield city centre, to design and fabricate a landmark new sculpture for Pennine Five’s new £1.5 million central outdoor plaza.

Work on the sculpture is expected to commence this month, with installation earmarked for January 2024.

Coralie Turpin has delivered a number of acclaimed art installations in Sheffield, at locations including Weston Park Museum, the Cosmos Building, Hannah Court and The Moor Kiosk.

Her design for Pennine Five features five curved layers and will be constructed using stainless steel and her trademark mosaics.

Discussing her vision for the design, artist Coralie Turpin said:

“I wanted the art to reflect several key themes – including the scale and robustness of the development, the roaming hills of Sheffield, the Outdoor City ethos and, of course, Sheffield’s famous cutlery-making heritage.

“The shapes within the sculpture could quite easily be seen as hills, but also the rounded edge of several spoons or butter knives.

“Made from steel – this is for Sheffield after all – and beautiful coloured mosaics, the sculpture will be made to stand the test of time, just like Pennine Five itself. It will be full of texture and richness, and bring a sense of uplifting positivity to the new courtyard.”

Since taking ownership of the five office blocks making up the former HSBC headquarters on Tenter Street in 2019, RBH Properties has been injecting a new lease of life into the site and are in the midst of transforming it into a bustling and inclusive business campus, suitable for 3,500 professionals.

Refurbishing the whole Pennine Five complex, rather than demolishing the buildings and starting again, has saved over 170,000 tonnes of CO² emissions. This bold approach to renewal saw the site crowned best ‘Sustainable Development’ at this year’s South Yorkshire Property Dinner Awards.

Georgina Kettlewell, Director at Yorkshire Artspace, said:

“Public art turns our streets and public spaces into the biggest and best free art experience going – something which becomes a regular part of our lives and imaginations. We’re proud to be home to some of the most exceptional public artists in the north and delighted to work with RBH Properties as they incorporate Coralie’s work into their brilliant vision for Pennine Five.”

Chloe Brook, Director at RBH Properties, added:

“We are delighted to be able to support a fantastic local artist like Coralie Turpin and are thrilled with the design she has created. We have always wanted Pennine Five to feel connected to Sheffield in more ways than just its literal location and this is another example of that. Coralie is a well-known figure in the Yorkshire art scene and really ‘gets’ Sheffield and, crucially for us, fully understands what we are trying to do here with Pennine Five.

“Work on the plaza itself is progressing well, with a view to opening this autumn. This office campus has always been very private and disconnected from the rest of the city centre, and our plans for Pennine Five are all about opening it up to wider business and local residential communities as well. The plaza will be an inclusive and welcoming focal point – bringing a new sense of place and identity to the whole area.”

The public plaza in Pennine Five is expected to complete later this year, with an official opening targeted for January.