North Tyneside Metro artwork The Bridge restored to former glory after 25 years
An art installation at a North Tyneside Metro station has been restored to its former glory.
The work, known as Bridge, is the coloured glazing which has overlooked the tracks and platforms at West Monkseaton Metro station for more than 25 years.
Metro operator Nexus carried out the work as part of a recent station improvement project at six suburban Metro stations.
Ian Gallagher, head of Building Service Maintenance at Nexus said: “It’s great that we’ve been able to restore this piece of Metro artwork to its former glory at West Monkseaton station. We’re delighted with the completed piece.
“The team did a great job, carefully matching all of the colours, and then taking the time to painstakingly repaint the glass so that it looks as good as when it was new back in 1998.
“Art is such an important part of the Tyne and Wear Metro system. There are many different installations across our 60 stations that were put in through the art on transport programme, and it’s a key element of Metro’s role in the communities that it serves.”
The artist who created it back in the late 1990s, Richard Talbot, a professor of contemporary drawing at Newcastle University, was there to give his seal of approval.
He said: “It’s great to see my art work has been restored to its former glory after all these years.
“I’d not seen the piece up close for a long time but I had gathered that it was in need of some work. It’s great to see that Nexus has undertaken that work and that the coloured panes are looking nice and crisp once again.”