David Bowie memorial: Plans unveiled for a £1million metal sculpture in memory of the music legend

A campaign to build a three-storey high Brixton memorial for the music legend David Bowie has been launched.

The project aims to build a nine-metre metal version of the singer’s iconic “ziggy-zag” make-up worn on the album cover of 1973’s Aladdin Sane.

The design of the memorial was revealed on Tuesday at the Royal Festival Hall and the artists behind it announced they are hoping to raise £1million to make the vision a reality.

The campaign group has already raised £17,000 but estimate the cost of building the structure to be around £600,000 – with the remainder of the money going on taxes and services.

The “gravity-defying” piece will be located on Turnstall Road – opposite Brixton Underground station and next to the existing memorial which was set up after the star’s death in 2016.

Artist Charlie Waterhouse, of This Ain’t Rock’n’Roll, came up with the design – which will need to be approved by the Lambeth Council planning department before it can go ahead.

Mr Waterhouse said: “It’s a monument that’s at once baffling yet immediately familiar – a reminder that there’s always another narrative.

“Startling, stupid and utterly joyous in equal measure this is a piece of public art that the whole community can be proud of.”

The project is being managed by Binki Taylor, chair of Bricton Pound, who said: “This is an incredibly exciting moment.

“There has been a huge amount of work going into this behind the scenes, and we are delighted to have developed the plans in consultation with David Bowie’s team in London and New York.

“It’s a spectacular and very fitting tribute, in Brixton where the star was born.”

A spokesman for Lambeth Council told the Standard that it was aware of the proposals and was not opposed to it – but confirmed the project group would need to submit a planning application for approval before work could commence.

Cllr Lib Peck, Lambeth Council leader, backed the campaign, saying: “Brixton has become central to David Bowie’s huge legacy, so what better place for this stunning and imaginative memorial to this locally born legend.

“This is a bold and ambitious proposal, and I’d encourage his fans to really get behind the scheme by supporting this crowd funding push.”