Coventry University students create sculpture out of demolished city car park

Students from Coventry University used old timber from the city's demolition sites to create a public art sculpture. The postgraduate art, design, and architecture students used the salvaged door frame from the demolition of the New Union Street car park to create the piece, which is now on display at IDP Architects' Coventry office.

The students worked alongside the Pangea Sculptors Centre who helped bring the urban mining project to life. The university says that urban mining is a positive response to achieving 'net zero carbon emissions' and going out to environments such as building sites to see how the discarded material could be 'reused and repurposed.'

The demolition work at the New Union Street car park in the city centre took place in March. The park, which was closed for three years and described by readers as 'neglected' and an 'eyesore,' has now been transformed into a surface-level car park with 75 spaces which opened in August.

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The project used mined pieces of material from the car park as part of the City Centre South redevelopment that were discarded. Associate professor and curriculum lead in architecture at Coventry University, Dr Tulika Gadakari, said: "Before the sculptural door walkway took residency in IDP Architects’ entrance gallery space, the art installation was designed, created and on display at Coventry University’s Urban Mining Test Lab Showcase.

"The showcase welcomed speakers from the city council and Pangaea Sculptors’ Centre, as well as speakers from other departments in the university, to discuss waste materials, urban mining, and environmental values. Other student projects proposing other sculptures and installations made of mined materials for the City Centre South redevelopment were also on display.

"It is an important opportunity for students to work with external organisations and become aware of sustainability and adaptive reuse issues," she added.

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