Stunning new mirror pools unveiled

STUNNING 'mirror pools' which reflect the grandeur of a Yorkshire Minster have been officially unveiled, completing a £2m project to transform a key Old Town square.
Unveiling of Trinity Square in front of the Hull Minster with its new mirror pools designed by Mel Chantrey. Picture James HardistyUnveiling of Trinity Square in front of the Hull Minster with its new mirror pools designed by Mel Chantrey. Picture James Hardisty
Unveiling of Trinity Square in front of the Hull Minster with its new mirror pools designed by Mel Chantrey. Picture James Hardisty

A carillion of Hull Minster’s bells played Handel’s Water Music to celebrate the switch on of the pools in Trinity Square - an eagerly awaited feature of the city’s £25m upgrade.

Work started on the square back in December 2015 and involved the exhumation of hundreds of skeletons.

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The square has been repaved, the churchyard wall round the front removed and the statue of the poet Andrew Marvell shifted a few yards.

Designer Mel Chantrey, artist in residence for Fountain Workshop Ltd. 
Picture James Hardisty.Designer Mel Chantrey, artist in residence for Fountain Workshop Ltd. 
Picture James Hardisty.
Designer Mel Chantrey, artist in residence for Fountain Workshop Ltd. Picture James Hardisty.

But the most difficult part of the job has been getting the mirror pools - thought to be the first of their kinds - just right.

Invisible when the water is switched off they fill with just 2mm of water when turned on. When still they reflect the Minster’s Gothic facade. But they can also be pulsed, creating geometric shapes, recalling shapes in the church’s architecture.

The work was delayed by the huge paving stones that form the base of the pools having to be taken up after grease blocked the jets after it was poured into them after a food festival. The naturally rippling stone also had to be painstakingly ground down by hand to make sure it was “billiard table” smooth.

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Designer Mel Chantrey, artist in residence for Fountain Workshop Ltd, also designed the dancing fountains in Queen Victoria Square, which have already proved a hit.

Designer Mel Chantrey, artist in residence for Fountain Workshop Ltd. 
Picture James Hardisty.Designer Mel Chantrey, artist in residence for Fountain Workshop Ltd. 
Picture James Hardisty.
Designer Mel Chantrey, artist in residence for Fountain Workshop Ltd. Picture James Hardisty.

He said: “The thrilling bit about this is that unlike Queen Victoria Square where it’s all nozzles, jets and grilles, here it is just stone and water.

“We are generating patterns over and over again, rhythmical repetitions, allowing people to introspect and to dream. To engage people in that dynamic is a real privilege.”

The completion of the mirror pools brings to an end the first phase of work on Holy Trinity - recently renamed Hull Minster.

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Thousands came to the Minster at the weekend for the resurrection of a mediaeval mystery play Noah which included a 24-foot ark and tonight Hull Minster will play host to hundreds for a City of Culture legacy dinner.

It comes after the reopening of the adjacent indoor market as part of a £3m upgrade.

The Vicar of Hull Minster, the Rev Canon Dr Neal Barnes said: “The footfall into the church since of the beginning of the year is three times over and on certain days it’s astronomically different.

“We are definitely turning a corner, getting more people in using the shop and cafe. And because there’s more happening round the square, the work on the indoor market, the different eateries, Trinity House opening up, it is becoming more and more of a destination. All these things are contributing to the Old Town becoming part of the throbbing heart of the city.”

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Coun Martin Mancey, Portfolio Holder for Regeneration added: “With Hull Minster’s work progressing incredibly well, Trinity Market’s hall re-opening on North Churchside and the recent designation of the Old Town as a Heritage Action Zone with Historic England, it’s clear to see that this area is treasured and will continue to draw people in for years to come.” The mirror pools are on each day until 11pm.

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