New sculpture celebrating Moulsecoomb community unveiled

One Moulsecoomb, outside Hillfort House in Moulsecoomb Way, Brighton, brings together the names of 560 people connected to the area.

Designed by Bruce Williams, who created the famous Kiss Wall on Brighton seafront, the sculpture aims to celebrate people from area, ranging from boxers, teachers and volunteers to parents, performers, children and even two cats - with each name touching its neighbour.

Bruce said: “Everyone who put their name forward could choose how their name looked.

“Some left it up to me, but lots used their own handwriting, others chose a font they liked, so just said bold or italic.

“Three groups of schoolchildren made a special effort with tags, drawing and 3D pens.

“Every single one I was given is included and, when all the names came together in one giant lattice, they worked because they are so different - so unique and so full of life.”

The sculpture during its construction

Every name was carefully integrated into the artwork and then laser-cut into corten steel.

The outlines of people in the structure were created from pictures of volunteers in the community, who were photographed at the Friday Friends Club in The Bevy, Moulsecoomb Community Market and Moulsecoomb Primary School.

Bruce said: “It took some time for the idea of the crowd to emerge, but that was when the whole idea began to make sense.

“All the 560 names of Moulsecoomb people combined into one group - One Moulsecoomb.

“All the names, all different, all pressed up against each other, supporting each other - all in one big curve, like the arches of the viaduct and like one big hug.”

The steel artwork is designed to rust and then stabilise into a rich orangey-brown colour.

The sculpture was commissioned by McLaren Property alongside its Hillfort House development, with the new 380-bed student housing block opening its doors next month.