A seagull, a slab of granite and an Aberdeen 'Dons' FC scarf are set to take centre stage at the brand new Union Square shopping centre when it opens its doors on 29th October.

As part of the 'U be part of the art' project, residents across Aberdeen City and Shire have been clicking online to vote for their favourite memories submitted by local people and now the final 14 pieces perceived to represent Aberdeen the best have been chosen.

The art, which also includes an old Northern Cooperative share book and Glengarry hat, will be cast into resin blocks by local artists, Gudrun Bombosch and Iain Gildea, and inserted into a wall in the north atrium area of the Union Square to become a permanent feature in the city centre retail and leisure development.

Penny Godfrey, marketing manager for Hammerson Union Square said:

"We'd like to thank everyone who submitted their art and memories of Aberdeen City and Shire for the project and also to everyone who logged onto the Union Square website and voted for their favourite.

"The 14 items will form a fantastic view on how Aberdonian's see their city and the memories it provides, when they are put in place over the next month. This unique piece of art will become part of the atrium at the heart of Aberdeen's retail centre."

Gudrun Bombosch and Iain Gildea, who have been touring Aberdeen City and Shire, speaking to local communities and collecting items from the public are also delighted with the response to the project.

Gudrun said:

"We've had a fantastic time travelling round Aberdeen City and Shire speaking to people and collecting their memories for the art project.

"Now we are really looking forward to putting it all together and creating a wonderful piece of contemporary art that so many people will relate to and will be able to enjoy for years to come."

A full list of the winning art can be found at http://www.unionsquareaberdeen.com/our-community/public-art-voting. The art will be unveiled on the opening day of the development on the 29th October 2009.

For more information contact Lisa McGhee or Kirsty Grant at Trimedia
Tel: 0131 226 2363
Email: firstname.secondname@trimediauk.com

Notes to Editor

Union Square

• Union Square is a £275 million mixed use, regeneration scheme creating a new retail and leisure quarter for Aberdeen. Developed by Hammerson, the scheme includes 56 retail units, comprising a range of national and international brands, up to 12 restaurants and cafés, a 203 bed hotel and 10 screen multiplex, set to be Aberdeen's largest cinema. The scheme will also provide visitors with a new civic square. Union Square will be Aberdeen's most accessible retail and leisure offer with 1,700 car parking spaces, easily reached from all major routes and integrated with the city's bus and rail stations - providing a gateway to the region and encouraging sustainable travel to the city.
• www.unionsquareaberdeen.com

Hammerson plc

• Hammerson plc is a FTSE-100 Real Estate Investment Trust which operates principally in the retail sector in the UK and France. Its £4.7 billion portfolio, which provides 1.3 million m² of retail space and 255,000 m² of offices, includes 14 major shopping centres and 19 retail parks.
• Hammerson has a track record of successfully delivering major city centre regeneration projects. Award-winning developments include Bishops Square in London and Bullring in Birmingham. In September 2008 the Company opened three major retail-led developments: Highcross, Leicester; Cabot Circus, Bristol and an extension to Parinor, an existing centre in Paris. This autumn, Hammerson will open its latest retail-led regeneration scheme, Union Square in Aberdeen.
• The Company is currently working with several councils across the UK to deliver retail-led mixed-use projects in cities including Leeds, Southampton and Sheffield.
• For more information, visit www.hammerson.com.