Bradford sculptor unveils Tower of Now as part of UK City of Culture

A Bradford sculptor has described the unveiling of a huge tower in his home city as a “landmark” in his life.

Saad Qureshi was asked to create the 49ft (15m) Tower of Now sculpture by the Bradford 2025 team to celebrate the district’s UK City of Culture year.

The sculptor, who has exhibited in London, New York and New Delhi, said the installation of the tower marked the culmination of a three-year project.

Tower of Now is set to be officially unveiled on Saturday and will remain in the newly extended Norfolk Gardens until March 2026.

Mr Qureshi, 39, said: “It’s incredibly exciting and I also feel quite emotional about it.

“Bradford is where it all started for me, so to be able to come back and make something particularly special is a landmark moment for me on a personal level.”

Mr Qureshi, the third generation of his family to live in Bradford, moved from Pakistan to Heaton at the age of eight.

“I am feeling so emotional at the moment because this is a journey of generations, from my grandparents arriving in Bradford, to my father, and to myself,” he said.

“It’s all the hopes and the dreams and the prayers – I feel like this is the moment they all kind of led to.”

Originally intended to play soundscapes featuring voices in different languages, the tower has since been changed to a solely visual piece of art.

The top is a copy of a spire from a Christian church, with sections representing other religions including Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism.

There is also a section replicating part of Bradford City Hall’s bell tower.

Mr Qureshi added: “My idea was to borrow elements from these different buildings and knit them together so that they sit in harmony in this one beautiful column.”