A GIANT ‘Aberdeen’ sign has now appeared overnight at the city’s Castlegate, ahead of the official launch at 12 noon today.
Business leaders had been granted permission by the council to place the giant letters spelling out the city’s name at one of its most recognisable landmarks. It is hoped the sign will provide a ‘selfie spot’ that will boost the city’s profile on social media and encourage tourism.
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The letters stand around 2m tall and are illuminated by 98,000 light bulbs, utiliising 750m of cables and 69,850 microchips.
Manufactured in Aberdeen by local fabrication firm Luxous, the letters have in-built interactive technology to allow them to feature animated digital displays and change colour to celebrate holidays and events.
The project has been funded and led by city centre BID Aberdeen Inspired, which will manage the letters, Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce, VisitAberdeenshire and the Scottish Government’s Scotland Loves Local fund, administered through Scotland’s Towns Partnerships.
Allan Smith, managing director of Luxous Group, said: “The whole team at Luxous Group and I were fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to be part of this project
“We live in a city that has so many different professionals from a broad range of trades. I firmly believe that if we want the city to come alive again, then we – the locals – need to all chip in and do our bit to bring the energy back.
“We know that there are plenty of cities around the world that have letters similar to these, although there is nothing even close to the Aberdeen letters with the display and animated capabilities. We knew they had to stand out, after all it’s our time to shine – quite literally!
“The lettering can be programmed to create a light show for any occasion and the design ideas are endless. They can be enjoyed by people of any age and are changing constantly so that they are never the same each time you visit the various sites around the city.”
Aberdeen Inspired chief executive Adrian Watson added: “We are delighted to see the Aberdeen Letters project reach fruition and be unveiled to the public and we hope to see lots of people visiting the letters to snap a photo for their social media channels while they are spending time in the shops, bars, restaurants and taking in a show or exhibition.
“Many cities around the world already have similar schemes and they have become a ‘must-do’ for visitors but we hope that different animations being displayed from the letters, as well as being moveable, takes the concept a step further and will ensure the letters remain a unique focal point for that perfect Instagram picture.
“As part of our ongoing efforts to support the regeneration of Union Street and the Our Union Street initiative, we are keen to create new reasons to visit the city centre and encourage footfall.”
David Edgar of the chamber’s volunteer group added: “All of the Vanguard team, who helped to shape the plans, are delighted to see that the Aberdeen Letters have become reality on the streets of our city.
“We want these signs to be a bright symbol of the new Aberdeen, helping define our international identity. We’ve seen from other cities, such as Toronto, Gdansk, Amsterdam and Brisbane, that these signs often become a top tourist attraction, because visitors and locals alike want to share a ‘selfie’ in front of them.
“This will help Aberdeen reach places it otherwise wouldn’t on the feeds of the thousands of people visiting our city centre every year. The choice of materials for the sign tie very nicely in with the heritage of Aberdeen while the displays on the letters will help promote the cool, modern and vibrant city that we are.”
