A £20,000 fundraising drive is to be launched to place a sculpture of a giant running man in the heart of Craiglockhart.
The design, by Polwarth-based sculptor Lara Greene, is inspired by the work of war poet Wilfred Owen, who was treated for shell shock at Craiglockhart War Hospital.
It is hoped that it will stand around two and a half metres high outside the Happy
Valley shops on the corner of Colinton Road and Craiglockhart Road North.
The sculpture, called One More Spring, shows a figure apparently made from leaves and branches with a shadow of writhing snakes stretching out along the pavement behind him.
It is inspired by a poem of Owen's which described his desire to run once more in the fresh air. The snake shadow from which he is breaking free is a nod to the hospital magazine, edited by Owen, which was called The Hydra and had a masthead depicting snakes writhing around a patient's head.
The concept of a running man ties in with local sports facilities such as the Craiglockhart Tennis Centre, where Andy Murray trained, and the vegetation links with the area's many green spaces.
The sculpture was selected from three possible designs by members of Craiglockhart Community Council working on feedback from residents of the area.
The community council will now seek planning permission and embark on a fundraising campaign to gather around £20,000 from grant-making bodies and fundraising events. It is hoped to have the sculpture in place by the end of next year.
Ms Greene, 32, said: "I hope it will be something that local people will enjoy, and that even though they know all about the area it will make them feel a bit proud of it.
"It's a big space and it's just asking for something really. One thing I'm quite happy about is that they've done this through consultation – it's nice to be working on something that you know people are going to like."
Models of each of the three possible sculptures were selected in February and toured venues including Craiglockhart Tennis Centre, Firrhill High School and Oxgangs Library so members of the public could comment on their preferred design.
Artist Fiona Gray had proposed a pair of red sandstone pillars with seats in the shape of the bow of a canal boat, while Kate Thomson submitted a model of an abstract granite wing.
Community council chairman Alan Dickson, said: "We are delighted that Lara Greene has been chosen to execute this commission and we are sorry that we couldn't commission all three sculptures. It was a very hard decision for our committee to make and we would like to thank Fiona Gray and Kate Thomson for their interest in this project.
"At the moment I'm putting together the planning application with an advisor. We've also got to have a discussion with Lara about the development of the idea."
He said committee members would meet over the next two weeks to discuss the design and make plans for funding applications.
The full article contains 518 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
