A MASSIVE 250-foot-long (76-meter-long) wind turbine blade has been unveiled in the center of Hull as it celebrates its year in the spotlight as U.K. City of Culture.

    The big turbine — or the “Blade” as it is officially known — was created by artist Nayan Kulkarni and workers at the Siemens factory 2.5 miles (4 km) down the road.

    The awe-inspiring piece of engineering is the first in a series of temporary commissions in Hull this year that will reflect its fishing port past and its future as a manufacturing hub.

    “Blade” arrived Sunday morning in Queen Victoria Square and large crowds gathered to watch it slowly lifted into its final position by late afternoon.

    Nayan Kulkarni, the artist behind the project, said, “This will be a huge intervention in a public space, probably the biggest ever.

    “It is partly about what this new industry means for Hull, but the challenge of just showing it can be done is a big part of it, too.”

    Project director Richard Bickers said it had been a demanding effort. “Blade is not only a dramatic artistic installation, but in terms of its transportation and exhibition, a significant engineering feat. A major challenge we encountered was maneuvering the structure through Hull’s narrow city center streets,” he said.

    B75 rotor blades — which would normally form the top of a wind turbine — are the world’s largest handmade fiberglass components to be cast as a single object, organizers said.(SD-Agencies)