Simply put, Wales ancient landscape is epic. To celebrate the land’s majestic history and nature, George King Architects designed the Iron Ring, an enormous rusted steel crown that will be embedded into the earth beside Flint Castle. The massive sculpture won Wales’ Year of Legends contest and symbolizes the relationship between the medieval monarchies of Europe and the castles they built. Unveiled last week, the £395,000 Iron Ring will be built next to Flint Castle, one of the first castles to be built in Wales by King Edward I, and will mark the momentous event when Richard II surrendered the crown to Henry IV. The massive sculpture will serve as a cantilevered bridge soaring up to seven meters in height and 30 meters in diameter.
The ring-shaped landmark will gently pierce the earth at two points and be engraved with words that celebrate local landmarks, historic towns, and other connections with Flint Castle and the Dee estuary. “The sculpture will take a precariously balanced form, half buried beneath the ground, half projecting into the air, to demonstrate the unstable nature of the crown,” said George King. “The sculpture has been carefully designed to work at many scales. From afar its striking, iconic form resembles a giant ancient artefact, washed up on the shore of the Dee Estuary. Its scale and dynamic appearance means that it will become an instantly recognizable landmark for the area.” The Iron Ring is slated to open in 2018. The sculpture will help bring increased awareness to Flint Castle, which was recently renovated to include the installation of a £217k stainless-steel spiral staircase.