From Big Ben to Abbey Walk: meet the team 3D scanning the Grimsby car park

Work has begun on preserving artwork on a Grimsby car park with the use of state of the art 3D scanning.

Abbey Walk car park was closed in May 2024 following the discovery of structural defects. Water ingress into key structural supports, making the car park potentially unsafe to use.

As a result, its demolition was approved in September last year to make way for a surface level car park, but with the capability in the foundations of being built on in future years if needed.

On the pillars are a number of artworks created by famous local artist Harold Gosney. Though there are 40 panels on the structure, these are a repeated series of 4 designs – some flipped 180 degrees.

In an interview with the BBC, artist Harold Gosney explained the inspiration for these: “The four designs I produced were inspired by drawings in the handbook of the car that I had at the time, which was an Austin Cambridge estate car, and included suspension, carburettor, etc.”

Now, to preserve Mr. Gosney’s work, steps are being taken to use modern 3D scanning technology so they can be viewed for generations to come. This will also allow for the artworks to be reprinted in the future using a range of materials.

To do this, the University of Lincoln’s Conservation team are utilising a number of methods. The team boasts an impressive amount of previous work including structures like Elizabeth Tower, commonly known as Big Ben, and paintings at the National Army Museum.

When undergoing the largest conservation project in its industry, the Lincoln Conservation team worked on researching the colour scheme of Big Ben’s clock face as well as other elements of the tower.

At the National Army Museum, they spent time restoring 10 famous oil paintings. With Abbey Walk, the 3D scanning team are helping to preserve Gosney’s artwork by creating a model that can be kept as a digital record.

The scanners work by projecting light on to the object in question and measuring the time taken for it to be reflected back. This is then converted into co-ordinates which are used to reconstruct the structure into a digital 3D model.

The team used a handheld scanner that also collects a series of images, known as frames, in a process called tracking for Mr. Gosney’s artworks. The software then collates where overlaps might occur from each frame to produce the final 3D image. For the remainder of the car park, teams will be using a larger camera to collect the necessary frames.

The project team will also be exploring ways in which the reliefs can be removed as a whole. The 3D scanning is a safety measure to ensure the artworks can be preserved in some format regardless of how the structure is demolished.

Councillor Stewart Swinburn, Portfolio Holder for Housing, Infrastructure and Transport, said: “This is a great opportunity to preserve one of the most important artworks in the borough.

“With this 3D scan, we can ensure the amazing work by Mr. Gosney is something that generations will see and learn about.

“The decision to demolish the car park was not one taken lightly, but the safety of the borough was and always is the number one priority.”

The planning application has been submitted for the demolition of the car park and is currently in the planning process. If you wish to view the application, go to www.nelincs.gov.uk, search for Planning Portal, and then use reference DM/0018/25/FUL.