Dundee City Centre
The Discovery Point Visitor Centre, Dundee (UK) is home to The Discovery - the famous ship of Sir Walter Scott. This commission from Dundee City Council is a wonderful example of how a pebble mosaic can imbue an otherwise functional public space with a strong, emotional narrative.
The client brief began simply with a desire to feature a compass as a symbol of exploration. To ensure the final design reflected the spirt of the place and its community, Maggy began to explore how Scott’s voyages and battles with the elements could be woven into a narrative within the mosaic. Personification of eight winds - including a distinctive Icy North – held the key to bringing the scale of Scott’s achievements to life.
The 5.3m diameter mosaic compass uses cut lengths of slate adjacent to diminishing lines of pebbles along each point to create a striking 3D effect. Intertwining roped pathways extend three meters from the mosaic edge to bollards. Each wind face has complex shading achieved with combinations of subtly different speckled grey pebbles. The gusts spilling from the mouths of the winds are made using handpicked red granite from local beaches (with special permission).
The mosaic’s colours were selected to complement the rusty tones of the surrounding sandstone paving. Materials included Scottish jasper, white limestone, black quartzite, speckled grey granite, and green and blue Lakeland slate. In the centre of the mosaic is a great example of how slate can be the perfect canvas for text, with each letter skilfully hand carved to spell out Discovery Point.
Fitting a mosaic of this scale in a public space, takes both skill and planning. The Maggy Howarth installation team worked alongside Council teams to ensure public safety at all times.