Turnus Ltd, a joint venture company comprising leading urban regeneration specialists CUSP and the construction and development company, the Kennedy Group, has unveiled an iconic new sculpture in the piazza of its £100m Saint Anne's Square development.  Called "Anne", the seven metre high art piece was designed by  figurative artist Lucy Glendinning, who won the commission after a five month competitive tendering process.  The project was funded by the Department of Social Development, Arts & Business through its Reach programme and Turnus Ltd.

Shamus Jennings, Director, Turnus Ltd explains, "Saint Anne's Square is a mixed-use commercial and residential development which, as its name suggests, incorporates a "Square".  This 1400 sq ft European style piazza is the focal point of the scheme creating a new public space with enormous potential for performing arts and events.  As such it seemed entirely appropriate to commission an original piece of artwork to complement the ethos and location of the development.  "Anne" came about following a competitive process targeting artists throughout the UK and Ireland.  We are delighted with Lucy's finished work and feel that "Anne" will feel perfectly at home in the Square."

The sculpture features a life size figure made of black resin, fixed as if floating off the top of a six metre high stainless steel structure.  Cut into the top of the structure is a laser pattern which is illuminated at night through internal up-lighting.  Facing St Anne's Cathedral but in the midst of the commercial square, "Anne" evokes a distinctly contemporary symbol of spirituality.

Unveiling the sculpture, Social Development Minister, Margaret Ritchie, said: "What a wonderful sculpture. I am sure ‘Anne' will create a lot of interest for shoppers and tourists, especially in this historic area of the city. Given the current economic climate, it is heartening to see that developments such as St Anne's continue to further revitalise this lively area. Funding the piazza and the sculpture is a legacy of the Laganside Corporation and more recently my Department in supporting open spaces and public art for the use and enjoyment of local communities, businesses and visitors to Belfast. "Anne" is a further symbol of a positive future not only in terms of private and public partnership and investment but also of a shared future in the heart of our city."

 Lucy Glendinning is a well-established sculptor based in Somerset who has exhibited her work throughout the UK and USA.  "Anne" is the sixth in a series of landmark figurative pieces created by Glendinning in the UK.  Commenting on the commission she said, "It's important that my pieces reflect the culture and the history of the people who will look at it everyday.  I hope that the piece creates a positive energy in the space where people live out their daily lives.  I'd like to think that when people look up at "Anne" that they will get the feeling of something still and sacred".

Welcoming the new sculpture, Mary Trainor, Director of Arts & Business said, "We are extremely proud to be funding this very important piece of public art for Belfast and we congratulate Turnus Ltd on recognising the importance of investing in the arts and acknowledging the positive impact that this has on the environment and the community."

Today's event marks another significant step towards the completion of Saint Anne's Square.  Already opened and trading is a 169 bedroom Ramada Encore Hotel and a 560 space multi-storey car park.  With over 50% of the scheme's apartments already sold, Turnus has now released the second phase of its residential offering.  When complete the development will also provide 35,000 sq ft of restaurants and 15,000 sq ft of office space.