Art unveiled at heart of new £60m Wolverhampton Sainsbury's
A new piece of public art at the heart of a new £60 million supermarket was being unveiled today.
The countdown for the opening of the new Sainsbury's St Mark's Store on Raglan Street, Wolverhampton, is underway and bosses are to take the wraps off new artwork commissioned for the site.
The stainless steel monument is eight-metres high and weighs two-tonnes.
It has been given the fitting title 'Out of Darkness Cometh Light,', the city's motto.
It has been designed by Pelsall-based artists 'Planet Art'.
Paul Percox, manager of Sainsbury's St Mark's said: "We are delighted with this fantastic piece of artwork which will really help put our new store, and the wider development, on the map."
The store is set to open its doors on Wednesday at 9am.
Artist Julie Edwards of Planet Art, said: "This is such an exciting development for Wolverhampton and we are very proud to be involved.
"Being local people, it was of the upmost importance to produce a piece of art which the local community and visitors to the area can enjoy and I hope this is what we have achieved.
"We took inspiration - and the title of the piece - from Wolverhampton's motto Out of Darkness Cometh Light, which also reflects the journey of the site from being derelict and depressing to the transformation we see today.
"The piece captures the history of Wolverhampton and some of its landmark buildings, with the birds symbolising hope for the future and a new era for the area."
On Monday the store's petrol station opened to the public.
The supermarket will create 340 jobs and 192 employees from the St George's Parade store will be transferred to the new site.
The development follows a 10-year battle between supermarket giants Sainsbury's and Tesco, which reached the courts.
Both firms wanted to open on the site but Tesco is now due to start work on its own store on the old Royal Hospital site next year.
