Giant Gamecock statue for Williams-Brice Stadium arrives on campus
It’s finally here.
The million-dollar giant gamecock statue set to go in a plaza in front of Williams-Brice Stadium was delivered Thursday, the school announced, ending a long odyssey for the project. The school originally hoped for the $995,000 bronze statue, which was paid for by private gifts, to be in place before the 2017 season.
“We are very appreciative of David and Lynette Seaton and Bill Horton and Mary Major, whose donations paid for this statue,” South Carolina athletic director Ray Tanner said in a statement. “We have all been patiently waiting for it to arrive here. Its large size and intricate details make this statue unique. It will be worth the wait to have this magnificent statue in front of Williams-Brice Stadium.”
The statue will be in Springs Brooks Plaza at the corner of Bluff Road and George Rogers Boulevard. It will take about two weeks for the 20-foot tall statue to be installed. It was brought by truck from San Diego.
The project had originally been approved in September 2016 but was delayed several times.
Project manager Ann Derrick from University Facilities Planning, Design and Construction said the body section weighs around 10,000 to 11,000 pounds, the tail section is no more than 6,000 pounds and the head is 2,500 to 3,000 pounds.
“We had to install some structural components to tie the concrete base down about 20 to 25 feet into the soil to help resist any wind uplift forces,” Derrick said in the statement. “These are installed down into the planter and tied into the concrete on which the lower armature currently sits. The armature is the structural base which the bird will be attached to — ultimately, it will be covered in granite.”
According to the school release, a steel frame is put into place and then “the torso, tail, and head pieces of the sculpture get lifted, attached to the frame, welded together.” The welding should happen next week, with sandblasting Sept. 18. Most of the assembly will take place under a tent.
”The bronze sculpture itself is made of over one hundred individual castings,” University Architect Derek Gruner said. “It’s like putting together a three-dimensional puzzle. These bronze pieces are welded together, and then you must grind and polish the welds so that you cannot perceive the welded joints. Next, you must sand blast the entire surface to remove oxidation from the bronze and apply a coating to produce a ‘patina,’ which makes the bronze a deeper and richer brown color. It’s a complex sequence of activities that combines technical and artistic skills.”
This story was originally published September 10, 2020 at 9:58 AM.
