Work has started on the biggest public artwork ever commissioned in Northern Ireland.

When completed, RISE will tower 37.5 metres – or 123 feet – above the city’s Broadway roundabout.

Construction of the sculpture – by the Nottingham artist Wolfgang Buttress – will take around 12 weeks, and is expected to be completed at the end of June. Work will be undertaken in such a way as to keep traffic disruption to a minimum, although there may be occasional lane closures at off peak times.

RISE is made up of two globes, cast in silver and white steel, symbolizing the rising of the sun and new hope for Belfast's future.

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RISE will appear to rest on a bed of reeds – a reference to the natural heritage of the neighbouring Bog Meadows. There will be lights at the end of each 'reed' reflecting on the two globes.

Over the past few months, the twin globes have been manufactured and part-assembled at the M Hasson and Sons Ltd steelworks in Rasharkin.

The actual construction of the globes will begin in around two weeks' time, when the massive artwork will start to take shape on the city’s skyline.

When completed, RISE will be visible to the 65,000 people who use the M1 and Westlink daily, as well as from the air by more than 2.5m passengers travelling in and out of George Best City Airport every year.

For those who cannot wait until it is completed to see what it looks like, a model is currently on display in the nearby Park Centre.

A timelapse camera also is recording the construction, and updated images will be posted on a regular basis at www.belfastcity.gov.uk/rise

(GK)