Sky Mirror: The clever meaning behind Nottingham Playhouse's famous sculpture

You’ll find sculptures in every town and city across the UK, but here in Nottingham it feels like we’ve got more than average. 

Sculptures of notable local figures such as Brian Clough and Robin Hood have become popular landmarks over the years, with thousands of visitors each year posing for a photo next to them. 

Others, meanwhile, hold a more subliminal meaning. 

The Quartet statue in Chapel Bar, for instance, merely shows a group of four people walking away from one another. 

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At the other end of the spectrum are examples of downright bizarre craftsmanship, such as the Sneinton Dragon. 

Located beside a busy road in Sneinton, the 15-foot-wide metal sculpture of a dragon has been raising eyebrows for the past 18 years. 

Unlike the aforementioned sculptures, the much-loved Nottingham Sky Mirror does not honour any local figure, nor does it include any human or animal features. 

Each year thousands of people walk past the sculpture on their way to a performance at the Nottingham Playhouse, but why is it there and what does it mean? 

24 years of changing seasons 

The Sky Mirror was unveiled in April 2001 thanks to a £900,000 grant by the National Lottery. 

Its designer, Sir Anish Kapoor, is one of the most influential sculptors of our time, winning the Turner Prize in 1991. 

At 6 metres wide and weighing nearly 10 tonnes, the Sky Mirror was made in Finland through a process of cold forging. 

It was then taken to Wellingborough for final polishing to create the highly reflective surface.

You’d be forgiven for thinking that the sculpture was made for intrigued passers-by to take selfies, but back in 2001 selfies weren’t really a thing. 

The true meaning behind the sculpture is, in fact, far more clever than a self-taking assistant. 

The mirror’s shiny surface creates an ever-changing reflection of its surroundings depending on who walks past and the time of day or year.

As spring, summer, autumn, and winter pass, the sculpture changes too. 

Kapoor has since designed sky mirrors for the Rockefeller Center in New York and London’s Kensington Gardens. 

It’s also worth noting that sky mirrors do not pose any danger to the public or pigeons in the form of a barbecue ray!