In the world of public art, size matters, it seems. Artists are trying to outdo one another in constructing Britain's tallest sculpture.

Works such as Antony Gormley's The Angel of the North in Tyne and Wear are being dwarfed by another public art commission, a slender tubular steel lattice that will rise 60 metres (almost 200ft) over Nottingham.

Aspire, a landmark for the university, will be three times taller than The Angel of the North and more than eight metres higher than Nelson's Column. At 33 metres, the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, would have paled against it.

Two thirds of Aspire has been constructed so far. The final section is scheduled to be be added today, although this is dependent on the weather. Gale-force winds prevented the cranes from working yesterday.

The £800,000 sculpture, which will be the centrepiece of the university's new Jubilee Campus, has been designed by Ken Shuttleworth, of Make Architects, as part of an extensive redevelopment of the site. It was commissioned by the university to celebrate the 60th anniversary of its Royal Charter.

“We wanted it to be a symbol for those 60 years,” Mr Shuttleworth told The Times yesterday.

Its tapered steel structure is reminiscent of the “Gherkin” skyscraper in London — on which Mr Shuttleworth also worked as an architect — although some councillors have likened it to a whisk or a carpet beater, as The Times reported this year.

It is painted in a variety of reds, reflecting the colours of the surrounding buildings. Mr Shuttleworth said: “It takes the sandstone of Nottingham and makes it brighter. For me, there was also the inspiration of lace in Nottingham, a fantastic lace tradition.”

Sir Colin Campbell, the university's Vice-Chancellor, described it as a striking statement, one that would show students that “they can aspire to anything they want”. He added: “University education should be a transforming experience. This will transform the skyline of Nottingham.”

While Gormley's £800,000 The Angel of the North was funded by the public purse and an anonymous benefactor has paid for Aspire, the planned Angel of the South — a commission to mark the building of Ebbsfleet International station in North Kent — is being paid for by Eurostar, London & Continental Railways and Land Securities, developers of Ebbsfleet Valley.

Mark Wallinger, the winner of last year's Turner Prize, intends to create a white stallion so huge that a person would be no taller than one of its hooves. He is the favourite to win the commission.

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