This open space in front of Coventry Transport Museum is used for public events. On this day it was a cyclefest event. Dominating the space is the Whittle Arch which celebrates Sir Frank Whittle, inventor of the jet engine.
The Whittle Arch is a dramatic twin-arch tubular structure that provides a focal point to the whole Millennium Place development. It is named after and commemorates Sir Frank Whittle, the pioneer of the jet engine, who was born in Coventry. Spanning 60m across a service road, the arches are formed of aerofoil section tubular lattices, clad with perforated stainless steel sheathing. The arches are fabricated from standard circular hollow steel sections that span between plated diaphragms. One set of tubes span directly between the diaphragms to carry the axial thrusts and bending moments, another forms a series of spirals between the diaphragms and these carry the shear forces and torsions that exist under the different loadcases. The arches lean together supporting each other through a single connection point at the crown approximately 15m above the ground. At night the structure is illuminated from within the steel mesh cladding. See Link for further details.
Under the arch on the left is the entrance to Pool Meadow bus station. Above the arch on the right is the spire of St Michael's Cathedral. The city's pigeons congregate on top SP3379 : Coventry pigeons know their place.
The building that this mosaic SP3379 : Mosaic detail in Cov Centre. decorates was originally the Locarno ballroom, hence the jolly design. The artist was Fred Millet.