AN UPCOMING CHESTER car park has been decorated with murals celebrating 2000 years of the city’s history.
Mural artist, Graham Boyd along with help from other local artists have worked hard to create the striking visual art in the stairwells of the New Market car park in the city centre.
The stairs cover each of the car park’s seven floors and have been painted with unique murals depicting some famous and less well-known aspects about Chester’s culture and history.
The stairs cover each of the car park’s seven floors and have been hand painted with unique murals depicting some famous and less well-known aspects of the city’s culture and history.
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The North stair-core titled ‘City of Parades’ celebrates Chester’s long history of annual parades and events including the annual Midsummer Watch parade with the Chester Giants, the Winter Watch, Diwali and Pride parades, plus the raft race and Passion Plays.
The South stair-core titled ‘Steps Through Time’ brings to life individual characters chosen to represent some of the people who have shaped Chester over the years; including Caecilius Avitus a Roman soldier from Spain buried locally, Vikings, Hugh d’Avranches - the second Norman Earl of Chester, Thomas Harrison and John Douglas who designed some of the city’s most famous buildings and bridges, including the Eastgate clock and more.
A short film about the murals is available to view at:
https://youtu.be/P6JOxSSxvoc
Councillor Richard Beacham, Cabinet Member for Inclusive Growth, Economy and Regeneration, said: “I am thrilled that we have been able to commission these murals to provide an inspiring visual journey and offer the opportunity to literally step through time and learn more about our rich and varied history.
“Rather than the usual dull and featureless stairs found in most car parks, we wanted to enliven people’s experience and first impressions of Chester whilst at the same time learning something about our heritage and culture. This has been a really great opportunity to commission some unique public art using a local artist that encapsulate what it means to be from Chester and the results are fantastic.”
Graham Boyd of Absolutely Design said: “These murals provide the chance to celebrate both what a vibrant city Chester has been over the past two thousand years, and how its current cultural life continues to evolve.
“By commissioning them the Council has provided a fantastic showcase for local artists, all seven of us who’ve been involved live and work in the city. I’m really pleased with the outcome; I can’t wait for visitors to see them for themselves.”
The multi-storey New Market Parking will have access from St. Martins Way via Hunter Street and is currently expected to open in late autumn. It will provide parking for 800 vehicles alongside over 40 EV charging points, an indoor Cycle Hub for 50 cycles and a significantly improved and accessible environment compared with the nearby Market car park that will close once the new car park opens.
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