Station artwork pays homage to Halifax

20 April 2021

A new mural has added a splash of colour to the entrance of Halifax station, while paying homage to the town’s landmarks.

The 15-metre-long display, which spans the length of the steel road bridge on the station approach, was created by students from nearby Calderdale College.

Made up of 19 panels, it depicts the area’s best-loved landmarks including Halifax Minster, historic Shibden Hall and The Piece Hall – a restored 18th century former cloth hall which now houses shops and restaurants.

The ornate 19th century town hall and the Wainhouse tower, which at 275ft high is the world's tallest folly, both also make an appearance.

The project was carried out by the Halifax Station partnership with support from Northern.

Tony Baxter, Regional Director at Northern, said: “I’d like to say a huge thank you to the incredibly talented students at Calderdale College whose artwork now has pride-of-place at the station.

“As well as complementing our broader station improvement strategy, this colourful work also has a real depth of meaning – something for everyone in the community to embrace, enjoy and be proud of.”

The artwork was created by Level 2 Art and Design students at Calderdale College and has helped the, gain valuable skills in how to design a large scale mural from studio and digital based studies.

Simon Dunn, Assistant Curriculum Manager in the Creative, Digital and Enterprise department at Calderdale College said: "‘As the partnership between Calderdale College and Northern continues to grow it is allowing a wide and diverse range of student cohorts to take part in live project briefs with a real industry partner which is helping the students not only develop their technical skills but also their transferable skills which they will be able to take in to employment."

Lisa Gort, Level 2 Course Leader at Calderdale College, said: "This was an ambitious brief for the students. They rose to the challenge and worked as a team to create innovative visually exciting designs. The students learnt valuable industry skills alongside new creative skills, and had to do so within a tight timeframe."