The Panopticons are a set of four futuristic sculptures set in the rural settings of Blackburn, Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale districts of East Lancashire, England. The powers-that-be commissioned the sculptures as gateway pieces and a symbol of the renaissance of the area.

Whatever the reason, the results are some fantastic works of art:

The Atom



Photo: Tony-H [Flickr]



Photo: chillghetti [Flickr]

The Atom, a giant egg-shaped, bronze-coated sculpture designed by Peter Meacock with Katarina Novomestka and Architects WCW. It is located in the Wycoller Country Park in Pendle.

Colourfields



Photo: Ian Lawson

The Panopticon for Blackburn is Colourfields, a collaboration between Jo Rippon Architecture and artist Sophie Smallhorn. The piece, which apparently is some sort of a striped walkway (correct me if I'm wrong, guys), is built on a former cannon battery.

Haslingden Halo



Photo: bitrot [Flickr]



Photo: petehud [Flickr]

The Halo, designed by John Kennedy of LandLab, is a steel lattice structure on a tripod. After dark, it's lit with LEDs to give the sculpture the effect of hovering above the town of Haslingden in Rossendale.

Singing Ringing Tree



Photo: StewieD [Flickr]

Last (and my favorite!) in the series is the Singing Ringing Tree, a musical sculpture overlooking Burnley. The sculpture was designed by MIke Tonkin and Anna Liu, and was made from galvanized steel pipes. When the wind blows, the "tree" sings an eerie tune: