Angel of the North

Antony Gormley's steel angel with a 54 m wingspan, a symbol of North East England.

Because it stands beside the A1 road and the East Coast Main Line railway, an estimated 33 million people see it every year. Its rusty-brown colour comes from a special weathering steel, and the sculpture has become a symbol of Gateshead and the whole North East of England.

Why was it built?

In 1990 Gateshead Council wanted a landmark that would mark the way into the town and the Tyneside area, standing like what its arts manager called a "marker and guardian". Gormley was at first unsure, but agreed after visiting the proposed site, a former coal mine overlooking the surrounding lowlands. Like many of his works, the Angel is based on the shape of his own body. Some people opposed the idea while it was being built, but it is now widely seen as an iconic piece of public art.

How it stays up

Hartlepool Steel Fabrications built and assembled the 208-tonne sculpture. It was driven to the site overnight on 14 February 1998 and put up the next morning. The vertical ribs on the body and wings work like an outer skeleton, guiding wind toward the foundations, so the Angel can resist winds of more than 100 miles per hour (160 km/h).

On the globe

The model shows the rust-coloured steel angel with its wide wings on a hill.