New Sculpture Installed in Centre of Acton Roundabout

Structure is by the junction of the High Street and Steyne Road

'Oak Town' is meant to provide a new focal point for the Acton town centre
'Oak Town' is meant to provide a new focal point for the Acton town centre

January 24, 2023

A new piece of public artwork has been installed in Acton at the centre of a busy roundabout.

A metal Oak Tree symbolising Acton’s historic meaning as ‘Oak Town’ was chosen by local residents via an online vote and has been placed at the junction of Uxbridge Road, Steyne Road and High Street.

The design is by local firm 3D Eye, which has helped create window displays at Harrods. The project was organised and funded by Your Acton BID.

The sculpture is manufactured out of mirror stainless steel pipe and rod, with laser-cut oak leaves and a trunk laced with mirrored dials, many of which were heat treated to give dazzling colours when lit up at night.

Sally Regis, a 3D Eye artist involved in the build and installation of the sculpture said, “[It’s] a busy roundabout with considerations of visibility for vehicle users plus aesthetic considerations for the local residents. We came up with a number of ideas and the metal tree with leaves and theatrical lighting was finally selected.

“It was such a pleasure working with Acton Bid.”.

The roundabout was redesigned from a traffic light system to a roundabout in 2014 to help the flow of traffic. But with the area starting to look neglected, Your Acton BID took the idea of a sculpture to Ealing Council and its councillors with a goal to deliver a focal point in Acton’s Town Centre.

Three designs were put to a public vote in July 2022, each designed to significantly reduce the need for regular maintenance. Permission was granted and work started at the end of November 2022.

The roundabout before the makeover
The roundabout before the makeover

Local businesses were brought on board to collaborate on the project, with self-maintaining flowers planted to attract pollinators, reduce emissions, and beautify the space. Auberon Bayley, CEO of Cultivate London, the local Social Enterprise tasked with flowering the area says, “We are very proud to collaborate with the Acton BID team in giving the roundabout in Acton a sprinkle of beautiful Lavender to uplift the area."

Natasha Patel, Manager of Your Acton BID added, “Creating this beautiful gateway to Acton is a huge accomplishment for us. We’re proud to have worked with local businesses within Acton to deliver this project.”

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