The Wall of Answered Prayer is a public art project being promoted by a Christian charity of the same name. It wants to build a national landmark in the centre of England. A site for the structure has been donated by the Edmiston family at Coleshill Manor, near Birmingham.
It should be visible from the M6 and M42 motorways, the planned HS2 rai line and aircraft coming in and out of Birmingham Airport.
An international design competition was won last year by Snug Architects, with a concept for The Wall as a Mobius strip, made from one million bricks, each representing an answered prayer.
The planning application outlines the project’s associated visitor centre and public open space, including a car park and landscaped gardens.
Construction is due to start in December 2020 for completion in 2022 ahead of the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
Chief executive Richard Gamble first had the idea for The Wall in 2004. “This building has been my dream for many years,” he said. “It’s phenomenal to see it all finally fleshed out by Snug in such a beautiful and elegant design.”
He said: “We want to celebrate and remember all the prayers that God has answered for individuals throughout our nation’s history. Our hope is that this will be a piece of art that provokes discussion, and that when people visit The Wall of Answered Prayer and interact with the one million testimonies, they will see a small glimpse of God’s character. We expect that this will have a significant impact on our nation.
“Since the RIBA competition ended, I’ve been able to work more closely with Snug on a more detailed brief, and the team has taken the design to the next level. I couldn’t be more pleased.”
Paul Bulkeley is head architect for The Wall of Answered Prayer and founding director of Snug Architects. He said: “We are all very excited to see this impressive project a step closer to reality. It’s a structure of national significance and we are honoured to have played a part in the vision and the team that brings such a large-scale monument to the heart of the UK.”
Ramboll is the project’s structural engineer. Carl Brookes, Ramboll’s director of engineering simulation, added: “It is not often that opportunities to work on such ground-breaking architecture occur, and so we are absolutely delighted to be working with Snug and The Wall of Answered Prayer team on delivering this national monument. To develop the engineering required to make the truly radical and gravity defying form of the Mobius strip reality will be both challenging and thrilling. Undoubtedly this will be an inspirational, thought-provoking and iconic structure for generations to see and visit.”
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