A design portraying one of the Firth of Forth’s most special visitors – the humpback whale – has been commissioned by the Council to be displayed in the new Gasholder 1 public park.
The piece of public art by Svetlana Kondakova Muir has been put in place to take centre stage in the new park which opened at the end of last year as part of the £1.3bn regeneration of the wider area. Visitors will be able to enjoy the new piece of art at the park’s official opening on Saturday 5 April.
Last February the Council invited locally based artists and creative practitioners to develop ideas for a new artwork to be co-created with the local community.
Locals and visitors to Granton Waterfront were then given a sneak peek of six shortlisted designs for the new piece exhibited at Granton Station. Ideas for the selected pieces were taken from community interests and themes connected to Granton and the artists provided opportunities for the local community to participate in the design process. A panel of experts then selected Svetlana Kondakova Muir’s whale as the winning design in Summer 2024.
By portraying the whale, the artist is celebrating the local natural environment. The sculpture is a galvanised steel and aluminium life-sized head of a humpback whale appearing to emerge vertically from underwater. At four metres tall, it is an awe-inspiring size, allowing visitors to experience the full might of this incredible creature. To complement the gasholder structure, it was made in a contemporary polygonal style using simple, flat shapes with straight edges, a style that is both minimalist and striking.
Aluminium-cast artworks created by local school children and college students, including an oyster reef, barnacles and other wildlife as well as textured panels created by pupils who have complex support needs from Oaklands School, will be added to the structure in summer 2026.
Culture and Communities Convener Cllr Val Walker said:
The new park – Gasholder 1 – officially opens on Saturday 5 April and I’m really looking forward to hundreds of visitors joining us that day and being able to see this this beautiful piece of art which is a spectacular focal point. I’m sure it will become a huge draw for local people and those visiting the area in the future months and years ahead. I’m hoping those who haven’t already explored the new green space will have the opportunity to do so at our official opening or in their own time at some point soon.
The gasholder has always played an important role in Granton Waterfront and it is fantastic to see it has been completely restored and is now lit up as a permanent feature after dark.
Artist Svetlana Kondakova Muir said:
It was a great honour to be awarded the Gasholder Public Art Commission and I am excited to see the sculpture complete. The best part about this project has been working with the local community to come up with ideas – it was them who chose the whale – and to create elements of sea life which will be cast in aluminium and added to the sculpture. I feel privileged that my artwork will be housed within such a distinctive landmark in Edinburgh’s landscape. Most importantly, I hope that Granton Whale will highlight the importance of marine conservation and the value of our relationships with the natural world.