Internationally renowned creative Sebastian Conran is set to unveil an outstanding sculpture hewn from five tons of stainless steel and the authentic nose of Concorde. To be revealed for the first time at Royal Ascot the sculpture, aptly named ICON, has taken years of work and persistence, culminating in a piece that celebrates the beauty of technology and man’s conquering of supersonic flight. A celebration of British engineering, Concorde captured the hearts and imaginations of the British public and has now been transformed into a considered work of art for all to admire. The racecourse has chosen ICON as the main sculpture to be displayed during Royal Ascot.  Specialised Covers had the great pleasure of suppling the Black silk reveal cover to hide the work of art until its reveal. Sebastian Conran said: “This sculpture has represented years of hard work from everyone involved in bringing it to life. The best reward is that we get to display it at such an iconic and historic event and we are honoured Royal Ascot has chosen ICON as their main sculpture display this year. It is a great feeling to know thousands of people will soon get to experience and admire this important piece of engineering history.” Welcoming nearly 300,000 visitors across the five race-days, Royal Ascot is an occasion like no other in the sporting calendar as whilst it is demonstrably a celebration of horseracing at its very best, it is also a social occasion like no other, steeped in history and synonymous with pageantry and style. Chief Executive at Ascot Racecourse, Charles Barnett said: “We are excited to be hosting this unique piece of art at Royal Ascot this year. I’m sure our racegoers will be intrigued when they see it. The contemporary style of ICON fits in perfectly with the modern design of our Grandstand, which offers a complementary backdrop.” The creation and development of Concorde was an important piece of Sebastian’s childhood and teenage years; encouraging his love for aircraft and engineering. This enthusiasm culminated with leading the design team who had been commissioned by British Airways to design the last interiors of the Concorde fleet.
After many years of work, involving a team of highly skilled craftsmen, an aerospace engineer, Sebastian’s own trusted design team and almost two months of hand polishing, the result is a sculpture boasting dramatic shapes and forms to be admired from every angle. It is a dynamic piece, graceful but with the raw energy and power associated with the residual memories of Concorde’s supersonic flight.