All Steel fabrications of Long Eaton have recently completed the third in a series of large scale steel sculptures, designed by London-based artist John Atkin. The piece 'Dal Fabro's Chariot' which stands 27 feet tall and weighs two and a half tons is the centre piece of the impressive lobby of the new Beetham Tower complex, Old Hall Street, Liverpool.

Both the fabrication and installation presented a number of challenges to the team at All Steel Fabrications. An aperture at the front of the building only seven feet by eight feet dictated the way the sculpture was designed and put together right from the beginning. It had to be made in sections and erected on site, no mean feat as some of the sections weigh up to a ton each.

All Steel's reputation for innovation was put to the test on the certain sections of the sculpture. Three of the UK's top metal manipulators said the complex wheel components could not be reproduced at the size they wanted.

Undeterred, All Steel Fabricator Norman Sherwin devised a method of slicing and forming sheet steel to construct the huge wheels, the key feature of the 'Chariot.

The company, based in Long Eaton for the last twenty years is no stranger to improvisation and innovation. In 1988 the company was commissioned to reproduce the roof crown for the Royal Crown, Derby.

With a just a handful of photos of the original crown, Managing Director, Peter Elliot along with Norman Sherwin used their technical expertise and artistic interpretation to create a replacement, arguably better than the original.

The firm is fast building a portfolio of of work for artists on major public projects. In the last eighteen months they have produced four major works for John Atkin situated in Ipswich, Loughborough Essex and the latest one in Liverpool.

Past projects include a large-scale stainless steel piece forthe Conkers Complex by Long Eaton sculptor, Malcolm Revill. As well as Dan Cordell's bike sculpture for the Nottingham University complex, on the site of the old Raleigh bike factory.