Morecambe, North-West England
Tern Project Regenerates Tired Seaside Town
Rundown Morecambe was failing to attract visitors and major storms had severely damaged the coastal defence system The Tern Project has reinvented Morecambe's identity.
Over the years a series of major storms have severely damaged Morecambe's coastal defence system. Years of neglect coupled with the advent of cheap air travel means Morecambe has experienced a downturn in popularity.
The Tern Project
Lancaster City Council named their regeneration programme Tern in recognition of the local birdlife. Morecambe Bay is a Site of Special Scientific Interest with Britain's longest inter-tidal coastline. Leighton Moss, the largest bird reserve in north-west England, renowned for its wide variety of migrant bird-life, is located at Morecambe Bay.
The programme includes repairs to coastal defences, regeneration of the town and reinvention of Morecambe's identity. Some of the regeneration takes the form of public art , such as the Flock of Words, based on Morecambe's natural assets.
The Designer
The Council appointed Andy Altmann of Why Not Associates, a leading ritish design company, to carry out the design work. Altmann's work can be found on every continent in almost every form. He has created everything from magazine covers, posters, book covers and corporate identities to British postage stamps for the fortieth anniversary of Queen Elizabeth's accession to the throne. Altmann's work on Flock of Words reflects his reputation for innovation, for pushing boundaries beyond established limits.
Flock of Words
Flock of Words is a typographical pavement. It is 320 metres long and has no distinct beginning or end and can be approached from any angle. The pathway is created from polished concrete, natural stones, granite from Scotland and Steel from Hull.
The pathway links the town's station to the classic art deco Midland Hotel on the sea front. The Hotel was designed by Oliver Hill in the 1930s with interiors by Eric Gill, the type designer and lettering artist. To acknowledge Gill's artistic skills Altmann chose the lettering styles Gill Sans and Perpetua, both designed by Eric Gill.
The path is set with jokes, song lyrics, poems and traditional sayings all relating to birds. Starting with extracts from the Book of Genesis the path winds a literary trail including Chaucer, William Shakespeare, Laurence Binyon and Spike Milligan as well as items by local poets and members of the public. Some of the poems are by local children who were asked to take part in a competition. The poems run in different directions, one runs one way and another runs backwards through it the other way.
Flock of Words took five years from start to finish - from the initial idea through the planning stages, through choosing the words, poems and extracts to be included to being built. It took about six months to make and install it on site. Visitors are known to spend literally two or three hours walking along the pavement, backwards and forwards, reading and re-reading every word, poem and extract, often laughing out loud.
It seems like Morecambe's regeneration has been successful and visitor numbers continue to rise annually.
