Karli Edmondson
Posted: Tuesday, August 24, 2010 11:13 am

A 10-metre-high steel sculpture which aims to transform the image of the Scottish New Town of Cumbernauld was unveiled today. 

The £250,000 statue, which stands taller than two double decker buses and is the work of international public artist Andy Scott – the international artist behind the Heavy Horse on the M8 and the Falkirk Helix Water Kelpies. 

 Overlooking the A80 northbound, north of Auchenkilns Junction in Cumbernauld, the sculpture is of a female form. Taking almost a year to construct, it incorporates two large swooping arcs, inspired by the original name for Cumbernauld, “comar nan allt”, which means “coming together of waters” in Gaelic. 

 Its proximity to the motorway means more than 70,000 commuters will see the sculpture every day.  

Arria was today revealed as the name of the iconic sculpture. The name was selected following a competition asking locals to suggest a title for its new resident.  

Arria is based on Arria Fadilla who was the mother of Emperor Antoninus. Cumbernauld lies two miles from the line of an ancient Roman monument, the Antonine Wall and the town’s new £40m shopping centre is called the Antonine Centre. 

 The name also alludes to the word aria, which means song. The sculpture looks as if she is raising her arms in song.   

Part of the Cumbernauld Positive Image Project, the sculpture is the brainchild of Campsies Centre Cumbernauld Ltd (CCCL) – a North Lanarkshire Council company set up to facilitate the redevelopment of the town.  

Cllr Gerry McElroy, chair of CCCL, said: “After almost a year of waiting she is now complete and looks fantastic. We are delighted with Arria and Andy has done an amazing job as we knew he would. 

 “The local community are at the heart of what we are trying to achieve at the Cumbernauld Positive Image Project so we hope they will welcome her. We’re all really looking forward to driving by her on the main road that bisects Cumbernauld and hope that she becomes an iconic landmark for the town.”

 Arria reaches out toward Cumbernauld town centre and artist Andy Scott was inspired by the idea of drawing on the past and looking towards the future in a figurative motif. In details such as its hair, the artwork draws inspiration from the 1960s when Cumbernauld was seen by many as an urban utopia.   

Andy Scott said: “I am pleased to get to this last stage of the project and finally install her on site.  It has been a long and arduous commission for us, with months of very hard work fabricating the form of the sculpture and working with the extensive team of suppliers and contractors.  The installation is the culmination of all that effort and we are pleased to see her take pride of place.” 

The name Arria was suggested by Pete Reid and his two daughters Louise Reid (age 14) and Bethany Reid (age 11) from Cumbernauld.  

A poem penned by award-winning Scottish poet Jim Carruth, is on display at the foot of the sculpture, encouraging visitors to walk round it and appreciate different aspects of the public artwork. His four-verse poem, named Watershed, aims to “capture the pride local people have in their town and the importance of listening to their voice”.  

The aims of the Cumbernauld Positive Image Project are four-fold: create a distinctive image of Cumbernauld; increase residents' pride in their town; raise awareness across Scotland of Cumbernauld's attractiveness as a destination to live, work and play; create a sense of place and provide a positive statement about the town.

 The town of Cumbernauld has recently undergone an economic transformation, gaining a reputation for innovation, business growth and successful external investment. Cumbernauld’s population now exceeds that of two of Scotland’s six cities, Stirling and Inverness. It even has its own airport.

 Andy Scott's proposal to build an iconic landmark for Cumbernauld beat off stiff competition from creative agencies, multi-disciplinary consultancies, architects, planning consultants and a host of other bodies to be appointed by Campsies Centre Cumbernauld Ltd.