 The sculpture was inspired by Churchill's wartime speeches |
A sculpture marking Winston Churchill's victory in the BBC's Great Britons series is being unveiled at the Palace of Westminster in London. Churchill, Britain's leader in World War II, won the BBC Two series to find Britain's greatest figure in 2002.
Paul De Monchaux's freestanding timber tower entitled Song was inspired by Churchill's wartime speeches.
The public will be able to view the sculpture in Westminster Hall, House of Commons, from Thursday until 25 March.
Westminster Hall is the oldest building in the Houses of Parliament and was the site of Churchill's ceremonial lying-in-state in 1965.
Song is made from 20 interlocking units of sawn green English oak heartwood with facsimiles of Churchill's typewritten speech drafts embedded in the piece.
Diagonal blocks
The distinctive way the speeches were set out on the page, in stepped diagonal blocks, and their message of strength through cooperation inspired the title Song.
Mr de Monchaux said: "Churchill's wartime speeches helped listeners to identify with his message, remember it, and make it their own.
"One of the many historic functions of song is to allay fear, and Churchill's contribution in the war years was to lift the spirits and conquer our sense of dread."
The unveiling comes ahead of the official opening of the Churchill Museum by the Queen on Thursday.
The �13.5m museum at the Cabinet War Rooms was created to mark the 40th anniversary of Sir Winston Churchill's death.
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