charles jencks: 'northumberlandia' green goddess

plans have been unveiled for ‘northumberlandia’ a landmark feature designed by world renowned artist charles jencks. lying at the entrance to south east northumberland, near the town of cramlington, UK the hill will be up to 30 metres high and 1/2 kilometre in length. most importantly she will be the centrepiece for a 25 hectare public park in the urban fringe between the rolling countryside of mid northumberland and the urban areas of south east northumberland and newcastle to the south.

‘northumberlandia’ aerial view | top image: ‘northumberlandia’ artist rendering by charles jencks

this ambitious piece of public art will be made from some two million tonnes of soil and clay from shotton surface mine. ‘northumberlandia’ commissioned by the banks group and blagdon estate were looking to challenge some of the preconceptions about mining  activity. jencks will use the opportunity and resources made available by the mining  operations to create the new landform. ‘this is very much like alchemy; turning coal into energy and landscape into art,’ says charles jencks. ‘it offers us the opportunity to create art from the necessity of extracting coal’.

charles jencks’ impression of ‘northumberlandia’

charles jencks’ impression of ‘northumberlandia’

a computer generated impression of ‘northumberlandia’ looking north north west

a computer generated impression of ‘northumberlandia’ looking north

a computer generated impression of ‘northumberlandia’ looking north east