The Giant, billed as the World’s tallest moving statue and (billed) as one of the most exciting visitor attraction concepts of the 21st Century visitor may come to 21 cities around the globe if all goes well.
The Giant was conceived by The Giant Company based in Dublin, Ireland and the idea was (we are told) initially inspired by Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels.
Supported by Enterprise Ireland, The Giant company has engaged CBRE, the largest commercial real estate company globally, to identify possible sites for the Giant which includes the multi-storey statue mounted on a plinth housing a novel exhibition. The Giant’s arms and head can move to a diversity of positions and its patented skin, a matrix of millions of programmable LED pixels gives it the ability to instantly take the form of any man or woman, boy or girl from historical figures such as Albert Einstein or Amelia Earhart to stars of today from Lionel Messi to Beyoncé – I am sure image rights would need to be secured, but yes, we get the picture, Ed.
The idea is that each hour The Giant will transform itself into an exemplary man or woman and will also have the ability to speak or sing to the crowds that gather below.
The pitch to cities is that the attraction may offer significant economic benefits to cities where it will be located providing a diversity of jobs and attracting local and international tourists and residents who will increase footfall in the vicinity. Besides income from ticket sales, The Giant provides several revenue-producing opportunities including advertising on the spectacular three-dimensional digital statue; Giant selfies; private and corporate events and conferences and retail shops and restaurants which are situated on the terrace roof garden. The Giant is expected to draw approximately 500,000 visitors each year, generating annual revenues of around €12m. Each Giant will cost between €15–€20m to develop, depending on location and size of Giant, which is variable.
The Giant Company led by award-winning entrepreneur Paddy Dunning, the man behind Dublin’s National Wax Museum, Temple Bar Music Centre/The Button Factory and a leader in the redevelopment of Temple Bar, Dublin’s Cultural Quarter, is now seeking sites and partners and expressions of interest from international developers who want to attract hundreds of thousands of people to a particular location.
Paddy and his team are working with award-winning Berlin-based architecture studio Dan Pearlman on the creation of The Giant. They have also had support from Arup during the early stages of design development.
Paddy told us “We are now seeking 21 sites in 21 cities by the end of 2021. The Giant will be one of the world’s most ambitious cultural and commercial projects bringing together art, amusement and wonder to create a contemporary and highly profitable business. We envision The Giant as an adjunct to new urban redevelopment projects, stadiums, arenas, shopping centers, museums and other locations; it’s going to be an awe-inspiring addition to the cities where we locate”.
Interested parties and potential investors can learn more and find an RFP here or email enquiries@thegiantcompany.ie
Follow DailyDOOH