Premier Technical Services Group Ltd (PTSG) has completed a project to remove the famous Blackpool High Tide Organ, which had fallen into disrepair since it was created in 2002.
The tidal organ, which measured 15 metres in height, was constructed as part of the Great Promenade Show series of sculptures.
The sculpture was designed by the artists Liam Curtin and John Gooding, and was constructed in concrete, steel, zinc and copper sheet. The harnessing of wave energy, and the sculpting of the concrete and metals, is said to produce a unique interpretation of Blackpool’s natural and man-made environments.
The instrument is played by the sea at high tide through eight pipes attached to the sea wall. These are connected under the promenade to 18 organ pipes within the sculpture. The swell of seawater at high tide pushes air up the sea-wall pipes and causes the organ pipes to sound.
There was no budget available to maintain the Blackpool High Tide Organ and as a result, it slowly corroded and fell into decline until the difficult decision was made earlier this year to decommission the sculpture.
Engineers from PTSG Building Access Specialists Ltd managed the decommissioning from start to finish. This involved the use of a crane and a mobile elevating work platform to disassemble the sculpture, lowering each piece carefully to the ground. The organ pipes were saved and it will be possible to use them again if the opportunity arises.
Image: Gerald England. Shared under Creative Commons Licence.
