The Spire of Dublin, officially titled the Monument of Light (Irish: An Túr Solais) is a large, stainless steel, pin-like monument 121.2 metres in height, located on the site of the former Nelson’s Pillar on O’Connell Street in Dublin, Ireland. The spire was designed by Ian Ritchie Architects, who sought an “Elegant and dynamic simplicity bridging art and technology”. The contract was awarded to SIAC-Radley JV and it was manufactured by Radley Engineering of Dungarvan, Co. Waterford, and erected by SIAC Construction Ltd.
The first section was installed on 18 December 2002. Five additional 20m sections were added with the last one installed on 21 January 2003. The spire is an elongated cone of diameter 3 m at the base, narrowing to 15 cm at the top. Construction of the world’s tallest sculpture was delayed because of difficulty in obtaining planning permission and environmental regulations. The metal changes colours due to its reflective properties. During the day it maintains its steel look, but at dusk the monument appears to merge into the sky. The base of the monument is lit and the top 12 m is illuminated to provide a beacon in the night sky across the city.