Permission granted to move Coventry mural amid city centre south plans

[dutchman]

A new spot nearby has been picked out for the beloved artwork



Permission has been granted to move a beloved mural which has been on display in Coventry for almost 60 years. The iconic Three Tuns wall on Bull Yard is one the most recognisable parts of the city centre.

There were fears for its future amid the city centre south development plans, but its status as a Grade II listed monument meant all attempts should be made to ensure its survival. Permission has now been granted for the artwork to be moved from its current location.

However, the work to move it will not actually be done until permission for its new location on Rover Road, near Coventry Market, is also granted. The work was initially commissioned as part of Coventry's rebuild after the Second World War which saw an impetus on displaying more public art.

In this case artist William Mitchell designed the unique double sided Aztec style piece, and it went on to become an iconic part of the city's artistic landscape as part of the now closed Three Tuns pub.

An extract taken from planning permission says of the artwork: "Significant and unusual instance of a 1960s public art commission of high quality, related to a retail development.

"Good example of William Mitchell’s relief sculpture, being an early work in concrete, in his distinctive `Aztec’ style, using innovative and unusual casting techniques, and thus representative of 1960s public art."

It adds the artwork "shows Coventry’s continuing tradition of encouraging public art as it enriched the recreated streetscape with specially commissioned artworks: this is a work from the 1960s, showing the continuing story of the city’s rebuilding".

The listing of the artwork on Historic England states: "An abstract two-facetted relief mural, of 1966 by William Mitchell, forming the front elevation of The Three Tuns Pub situated in the north corner of the Bull Yard shopping complex; The Bull Yard building itself, to which the mural is attached, is not of special interest.

"The mural is cast in concrete with a pebble aggregate. It is circa 4m high and 11 ½ m long, with three openings for windows. The high relief panel shows abstract motifs, which could be interpreted as industrial components, such as cogwheels and spirals, but equally as a map of a city.

"Its design and style appear to have been influenced by Central American art. The rear of the mural, situated inside the pub, is also in relief, but is less pronounced (and now painted white). The mural forms a focal point within the public square."

[dutchman]

I know where I'd move it!