Contemporary Temporary?

‘Really, are you sure, an arch spanning the Long Walk?’ For those who don’t know the Long Walk is a perfectly straight path/road that stretches 2.64 miles from her majesty’s castle residence in Windsor up Snow Hill terminating near the foot of the imposing ‘Copper Horse’ statue. You receive stunning vistas from either end, in fact from any point along it!

I'm a big fan of modern art sculpture, specifically the large outdoor varieties and appreciate installations that contrast against classic architecture. This however would have to be something truly spectacular to have any sort of impact in this location, particularly in terms of scale.

So with a degree of scepticism, I took a look for myself. The Coronation Arch has been positioned just outside the George IV gateway; I decided to approach it from distance, walking from within the Windsor Great Park. In fact the Arch doesn't really appear into view until the crossing with Albert Road and at that point all my initial concerns were confirmed. The structure appears pretty much insignificant against the majestic backdrop of Windsor Castle. However now spotted, my anticipation of a close viewing had heightened considerably.

Closing in, the Arch grows magnificently and when finally reached, the sculpture in close proximity is in fact a stunning piece of art. The 6 independent willow constructed arches, representing the 6 decades of the Queen’s reign are set together forming a large tunnel across the pathway, providing framed views of both the castle and the Long Walk itself heightening and concentrating each of these outlooks beautifully!

The Arch was conceived almost 3 years ago by Andrew Try now Chairman of the Royal Windsor Rose and Horticultural Society, and working with Susann Laughton co-founder of local business Plantify. Looking for a unique way to celebrate the Queen’s 60 year reign, they selected John Warland an award winning garden designer to provide a creation that matched their vision. So esteemed artist Spencer Jenkins together with a number of volunteers have spent the last 3 months working on its construction at a nearby farm before installing it last week.

In addition to the Arch, the complete installation also includes 6 willow constructed crowns filled with native planting and elm trees that flank the gates.

I must congratulate all that have been involved in this project; I was genuinely cynical and believed that such an installation would prove to be disappointing; however I am thrilled to be proved wrong.

If you can, I urge you to take a look for yourself before it disappears in a couple of weeks time. I am unsure of the future of this sculpture, if it is only temporary, where and who will get to appreciate it for years to come? Perhaps I should start up my own campaign – #savethecoronationarch