$2.25M piece of public art to be installed inside Calgary's Stampede Park

One of the largest pieces of public art in Calgary will be installed in front of the new BMO Centre inside Stampede Park.

One of the largest pieces of public art in Calgary will be installed in front of the new BMO Centre inside Stampede Park.

At a cost of $2.25 million, the 21.34-metre (70 foot) high Spirit of Water will be a massive blue steel sculpture depicting a splash of water.

It's crafted out of more than 200 vertical steel tubes to form a 'freeze frame' of a dramatic 'splash' of water.

"I chose water as the central theme given its enormous power and universality. It's essential to everything," said U.K.-based artist Gerry Judah.

"It further remains one of the most important elements of nature, and one that continues to hold its importance, both as a physical object and as a symbolic representation of various universal concepts."

Judah's design was chosen from a pool of 218 artists and artist groups from around the world.

A jury of public art experts pared the list to six and, eventually, the jury's seven voting members selected Spirit of Water.