Peterborough's award-winning artist Jeni Cairns describes her vision for new archway sculpture for city centre

Award-winning artist Jeni Cairns has spoken of her delight at being asked to create a landmark sculpture for Peterborough’s £65 million Station Quarter transformation.

Artist and garden designer Jeni, whose works have won praise from horticultural competition judges from Hampton Court to Harrogate, has been commissioned to create a metallic archway sculpture that will effectively act as a gateway to the city centre and to Peterborough Museum.

It will be located at the Cowgate and Priestgate end of the new pedestrian and cycle City Link boulevard that will run from a new-look Peterborough train station through a landscaped Queensgate roundabout to Cowgate with current underpass removed.

Jeni said: “I was very excited to be approached by the Friends of the Museum about the archway proposal.

"It will be a wonderful way marker to the museum which is such a special place for the city.

"We are in the early stages.

"But it will probably be made of corten steel and depict various objects from the museum’s exhibits collection.

"It will span approximately 4.5 metres across and 3.5 metres high.

She added: “When I make something of this scale I find hard to quantify the time it takes but I would allow myself four weeks to build and make it.”

The sculpture has been commissioned and funded by the Friends of Peterborough Museum and Art Galley with Peterborough City Council agreeing to include it in its official planning application for the Station Quarter.

Stewart Howe, chair of Friends of Peterborough Museum and Art Galley, said: “It is intended that the sculpture will be installed at the entrance to Priestgate and will be a gateway to the museum.

Councillor Dennis Jones, leader of the city council, said: “We are delighted to be working with the Friends of Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery and this is a fabulous offer.”

Peterborough MP Andrew Pakes said: “It is incredibly exciting news that we could have a new city sculpture by Jeni Cairns as part of the station regeneration plans.

"I love the idea of putting public art at the heart of the plans and creating a welcome point as the station project meets with Cowgate.