A group of concrete murals on a Birmingham overpass, known as the “Brutal Climbing Wall,” has been given status on the list.
The three-stitched mural walls surrounding the Hockley overpass entrance feature geometric shapes and abstract patterns and were designed by sculptor William Mitchell to promote social interaction.
Recently, they attracted attention when climbers from the climbing clubs of the University of Birmingham drew bouldering routes through the structures.
Following a statement from the Twentieth Century Society, the murals were included in Class II by the Department of Digital Technology, Culture, Media and Sport on the advice of Historic England.
Mitchell, who died in 2020 at the age of 94, described Hockley’s flyover as “one of the greatest things that has ever happened in this country, because it was the first of its kind and certainly of its scale.”
Louise Brennan, Midlands Regional Director at Historic England, said: “The Hockley Circus murals are among the best examples of William Mitchell’s work and demonstrate his playful and lively style with great effect.
Two public works of art in Stevenage have also received Class II status.
The first is a colorful fresco with tiles by Hungarian-born artist Gyula Baggio in the former cooperative home, the first large commercial site to open in downtown Stevenage in June 1958.
It is the earliest of four large, surviving Co-op murals from the 1950s and 1960s, and depicts “the four cornerstones of a balanced economy – industry, trade, transport and agriculture.”
A two-part sculptural mural in the Park Place subway in Stevenage, called Scenes Of Contemporary Life, also received second-degree status.
Designed by Mitchell, it depicts the social, political and cultural events of the day, including a US Air Force space rocket and astronauts in a Soviet landing capsule, along with scenes from everyday life in Stevenage.
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Twentieth-century society has said it welcomes the murals, but fears that Stevenage’s proposed plans to regenerate the new city will destroy or drastically alter a number of important buildings and risk “undermining the coherence and integrity of the historic city center.”
Heritage Secretary Nigel Huddleston said: “These three iconic public works of art are seen and enjoyed by thousands of people every day, bringing everyone’s art.
“It is fantastic that these works are listed in recognition of the important contribution they make to their local area and to protect them for the future.”
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