Giant cardboard replica of historic pier created

A giant cardboard replica of a historic pier has been created by 400 people using 2,000 boxes and 23.6 miles of sticky tape.

The six-storey-high structure, based on Weston-super-Mare's Birnbeck Pier, was due to be hauled into place alongside the real thing on Saturday.

Designed by visual artist Oliver Grossetête, who is known for creating large cardboard sculptures of architectural sites, has attracted volunteer helpers from all over the world.

"The spirit of the project is to make something together," said Grossetête. "I like cardboard because it is open to all people. For me, it's between architecture and a social project."

Paula Birtwistle, head of production at Weston-based arts organisation Super Culture, which is delivering the project, said the organisation was asked by North Somerset Council to think of a cultural response to the regeneration taking place at the pier.

"It has involved about 400 people so far, building the pieces, so that brings together a wide range of people," Birtwistle said.

"People have come from all over; lots of local people from the college, theatre students, people from the council, construction workers, sea cadets."

Birtwistle described the project as "bonkers" and said it showed "crazy ambition".

She said: "Hopefully people look at Weston and say, 'Wow there's really cool things going on there, they're punching above their weight'.

"I hope people who take part in it learn the impossible is possible.

"You can do anything with teamwork and if enough people do something, you can build something crazy."

Volunteer helpers have come from all over the world.

"Some people come back four or five times," Grossetête said.

"The spirit of the project is the mix of the population and it joins them together - old people, young people, the whole community."

One of those people is Deb Peretz who has come from the east coast of the United States.

"By chance I ran into them doing a build in New Zealand so I helped them there," she said.

"After that, if he was doing it somewhere I could get to, we would try and come.

"It's fun... it's always in some place we haven't been to before."

She said the community had brought the project together.

"It takes many hands to do one of these projects," she said.

A celebration will follow the installation of the structure later.

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