From the historic Pump Rooms and Jephson Gardens to cutting-edge Silicon Spa, Royal Leamington Spa has plenty to shout about.
The Warwickshire town is packed with glorious architecture, wonderful open spaces and a booming arts and culture scene.
So, what better way to celebrate all this than with seven – yes, seven – super-sized Colour Palettes to welcome visitors at the rail station.
It was an absolute pleasure to create the Royal Leamington Spa Colour Palette on behalf of Warwick District Council, which is now on display to greet passers-by as they arrive by rail.
The Colour Palettes have been shaped by theme – community, sports, entertainment, nature, arts & culture, history and innovation – to allow plenty of space to shout about the great people and places in Leamington Spa.
Large wall mounted panels and anti-graffiti vinyl was selected as a final solution as it provided not only a safe and clean surface on which to install artwork, but it could be re-used in the future for new pieces of work in the space.
We tweaked the title and removed it from the palette design to create an eye-catching header in the centre of the rail station underpass. As you enter the underpass you know instantly what the artworks are all about!
Furthermore, a QR code at the underpass entrance takes people to a web page to explain what each of the swatches refers to, a great resource for people not familiar with Leamington’s history.
The Colour Palette is not designed to be a comprehensive representation of the town’s illustrious history, but it is intended to be a snapshot of how the respondents to the call-out see Royal Leamington Spa in 2022.
The most pleasing aspect of the Royal Leamington Spa Colour Palette is that every local reference was suggested by people from the town through a fascinating community engagement process.
We received hundreds of suggestions for the colourful swatches, which means the palettes truly are owned and shaped by the town.
Art class workshops at local primary schools – hosted by Heart of England Community Rail Partnership – allowed children to think about their local areas and the areas that stand out for them.
Warwick District Council’s Tourism and Culture spokesman Councillor Liam Bartlett said:
“The Royal Leamington Spa Colour Palettes will be a great visual improvement for the gateway into the town. Welcoming visitors and spectators from all over the world during this year’s Commonwealth Games. This piece of public art will showcase what we are proud of in Royal Leamington Spa and provide a fantastic opportunity for the people of the district to be part of this project.”