Project: Animate Cinema & Leisure Complex
Location: Preston

Client: Preston City Council
Lead Architects: Leach Rhodes Walker

Landscape Architects: Planit-IE

Contractors: Eric Wright Group

Developers: Maple Grove Developments

Artwork Budget: £30,000

Site Programme: 24 months
Service: Public Art Sub-Consultant
Artists: *Aardman (Animation )

Foundry: Castle Fine Arts Foundry

In March 2021, Preston City Council was awarded £20.9m from the Government’s national Towns Fund initiative, for the city Harris Quarter. It forms a unique part of the city centre undergoing a £200m investment programme to transform its historic buildings, sites and public realm into a diverse culture, leisure and employment offering. The development known as ‘Animate’ will provide an eight-screen cinema, 16-lane bowling alley with gaming zone, five family restaurant units, a street food hub, public realm, a competitive socialising unit and 164-space undercroft car park.

After the success of the Wallace & Gromit (Wrong Trousers) Bench as part of the Harris Quarter Pop-Ups, project developers Maple Grove Developments, again commissioned Ian Banks as public art consultant to work on Animate. Ian has been helping integrate the work of animation company *Aardman along with Castle Fine Arts Foundry on plans to install a 4-four-high bronze of (Wallace & Gromit’s arch nemesis) Feathers McGraw within the public realm. Feathers of course featured in the most recent W&G release of tge film Vengeance Most Fowl launched on BBC1 on Christmas Day 2024 and subsequently on Netflix.

As well as this, Ian has also been working with patterning artist Bonnie Craig on her laser cut Tenterhooks panelling installed onto the four Animate facades.

‘Animate’ opening in February 2025 will host national leisure brands including Hollywood Bowl, ARC Cinemas, Zizzi, Cosmo, Las Iguanas and Loungers all signed up as tenants.

More detail on the Animate development can be seen here.