When Design Creates Legacy: The Story Behind the Tags of Atmospheric Reflections of the North
When Atmospheric Reflections of the North was unveiled within Manchester Airport’s new Terminal 2, it introduced a new landmark at the heart of one of the UK’s largest infrastructure projects.
Suspended above passengers, the installation draws inspiration from the airport’s original chandeliers, the history of Ringway and the parachutes that once descended onto the surrounding landscape. It celebrates Manchester’s heritage through contemporary design while marking the completion of the airport’s £1.3 billion Transformation Programme.
Yet one of the artwork’s most meaningful elements is almost invisible.
Hidden amongst the 482 suspended parachutes is a story not about the sculpture itself, but about the people who made Manchester Airport’s transformation possible.
Designing More Than an Artwork
Every public artwork begins with a question.
For Atmospheric Reflections of the North, that question extended beyond the sculpture itself.
How could the artwork acknowledge the hundreds of people who had spent years delivering one of the largest infrastructure projects in the North of England?
Large-scale projects often conclude with commemorative gifts, plaques or photographs. While meaningful, these objects often become separated from the places they celebrate.
The ambition was different.
Rather than creating a keepsake that existed alongside the artwork, the commemorative element would become part of the artwork itself.
As artist and designer Liam Hopkins explains:
“I wanted the artwork to celebrate not only Manchester Airport’s transformation, but the people who made it happen. Instead of giving someone an object that represented the project, why not make them part of the artwork itself? That felt far more meaningful and created a lasting connection between the people, the place and the sculpture.”
A Permanent Connection
Every one of the 482 parachutes suspended within the installation carries a unique numbered aluminium hexagonal tag.
Each tag has been permanently allocated to an individual or organisation associated with Manchester Airport and the delivery of Terminal 2.
Long after the transformation programme has concluded, every recipient can stand beneath the sculpture knowing that one specific parachute will always represent their contribution.
The tags are not an addition to the artwork.
They are part of the artwork.
Inspired by Manchester’s Industrial Heritage
The design of the tags was deliberately understated.
Machined from aluminium, their hexagonal form references Manchester’s industrial heritage and the city’s long-standing relationship with engineering, manufacturing and innovation.
Every detail was considered—from the proportions of the hexagon and the typography through to the numbering system and manufacturing process.
Although modest in scale compared to the installation itself, the tags embody the same philosophy that underpins much of LAZERIAN’s work: creating meaningful connections between people, place and story through thoughtful design.
A Brass Replica to Keep
Alongside the permanent aluminium tags, LAZERIAN designed and manufactured matching solid brass versions.
Rather than producing a conventional medal or corporate award, the studio looked towards commemorative and memorial coins that have historically marked significant moments in history.
Each brass tag is an exact replica of the aluminium version installed within the sculpture, carrying the same unique number permanently linked to its corresponding parachute.
The allocation of the numbers was intentionally random.
Their value comes not from status or hierarchy, but from the shared achievement of everyone involved in delivering Manchester Airport’s Transformation Programme.
Every recipient received a unique piece of the story.
When Design Takes on a Life of Its Own
Some of the most rewarding aspects of design happen after a project is complete.
Following the unveiling of Atmospheric Reflections of the North, recipients began sharing photographs of their brass tags alongside reflections on what they represented.
Jordan Branson, recipient of Tag 107, described it as:
“A lasting reminder of being part of this once-in-a-generation transformation.”
She went on to write:
“I’m proud to have played a small part in Manchester Airport’s story, and to know that a small part of me will always remain there.”
Retired Project Manager Steven Gregory also shared his thoughts, describing the gesture as:
“A nice touch by Manchester Airport; a good note upon which to close my working phase.”
These weren’t responses that could ever be designed.
They were genuine reflections from people who had invested years in creating the airport that millions of passengers will now experience.
For LAZERIAN, those reactions demonstrated that the idea had achieved exactly what it set out to do.
Designing Legacy
Public art is often measured by its scale, craftsmanship or visual impact.
For us, its greatest success lies in the relationships it creates.
Millions of passengers will pass beneath Atmospheric Reflections of the North over the coming decades.
Most will admire the installation for its colour, light and engineering.
But for 482 individuals and organisations, the artwork carries another layer of meaning.
Somewhere above them hangs a single numbered parachute that represents their contribution to Manchester Airport’s history.
That connection transforms the sculpture from something people simply experience into something they genuinely belong to.
Creating those lasting connections between people, place and story is at the heart of how we approach design.
Because sometimes the smallest detail becomes the most enduring legacy.
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