SEE MONSTER will finally open in Weston this week following significant delays.
More than two months later than anticipated, tomorrow people will get the chance to climb on board a decommissioned North Sea gas platform displayed at the Tropicana.
The free-to-enter art exhibition will open for 42 days until November 5, and Westonians will be able to exclusively visit the attraction later today, September 23.
As part of the national government-funded Unboxed: Creativity in the UK festival, the 33-metre structure is a world-first and hopes to 'reimagine conversations on climate change and inspire the next generation of forward thinkers'.
First touted as bringing more than 200,000 people to Weston over the summer period from July, organisers now hope it will prove popular enough to coax around 150,000 visitors over the five weeks its open.
READ MORE: Weston residents will be first to view See Monster
In a bid to inspire discussions on reuse, renewables, and the great British weather, guests will tour the three-storey platform with the help of volunteers and 25 hosts.
A wind turbine, solar tree, two-storey slide and almost 1,000 trees and other foliage will feature on the attraction.
It's key displays also include a 10-metre waterfall - fueled by 26 pumps - a 'cloud machine' and kinetic scales made from 6,000 pieces.
A seated ampitheatre located at the very top of the structure will host lectures and varied events on climate change and how to combat it, too.
Colourful lighting will make the structure 'come alive' at night, and during the day, the shipping forecast will be broadcast as part of its celebration of the weather.
See Monster is open everyday from 9am to 9pm and guests will be expected to queue outside the Tropicana. There is no way of guaranteeing an arrival time for visitors.
Its maximum capacity has not yet been disclosed.
The 450-tonne platform is fully accessible and open to all ages. However, children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
It has now taken more than six months to reach this stage of construction.
But organisers New Substance hope its albeit delayed arrival will 'extend the season' for local traders.
READ MORE: See Monster to open in Weston this week after delays
Part of the intellectual focus of the exhibit is to advance the pursuits of science, technology, engineering and the arts, and explain how they can be used to halt proclaimed climate breakdown.
"See Monster is an inspirational and awe-inspiring project," Unboxed chief creative officer Martin Green, said.
"The transformation of a decommissioned platform into one of the UK’s most ambitious public art installations has been an unprecedented undertaking, and offers a blueprint for the reuse of industrial structures that everyone involved should be proud of."
However some residents and councillors have hitherto protested its benefit to Weston and claimed the exhibit falls foul of its original promise to bring hundreds-of-thousands of people to Weston this summer.
The complaints are also coupled with criticism of See Monster's short opening window.
Two major delays - one in July and another last month - saw the first imagined summer attraction now arrive in the autumn, where poor weather may discourage long-distance visitors.
But North Somerset Council's executive member for placemaking and economy, Cllr Mark Canniford, insisted 'even with delays, See Monster will no doubt be a win-win for the people of Weston'.
He said: "This is a fantastic chance for our town's economy to see a boost in trade at a time when visitor numbers fall dramatically.
READ MORE: Fears Weston will be UK 'laughing stock' if See Monster delayed until September
"Everything from renting the Tropicana, to time spent by council officers on See Monster's delivery has been fully compensated - the council has spent no money on the attraction whatsoever.
"There is no loss to the local taxpayer, so why not enjoy it while it's here."
Cllr Canniford confirmed North Somerset Council was recompensed £120,000 for the project's delivery.
A full economic review of See Monster's tenure in Weston, along with exact visitor numbers and an environmental impact assessment, will be conducted by Unboxed later this year and made available to the public.
See Monster will close in early November due to planning conditions and agreements made with the Environment Agency to avoid disturbing wading birds during their migration.
New Substance says the platform will be dismantled on-site by Christmas Day. Its parts will then be transported by road and sold for scrap thereafter.
Creative director for New Substance, Patrick O’Mahony, said: "We are incredibly excited to be the first people in the world to reuse a structure in this way, with its potential to provide a blueprint for future global reuse projects.
"We hope this once-in-a-lifetime experience, that started as an experiment in education and creativity in Weston, will go on to have a much greater and long-lasting legacy."
Due to delays, a series of cultural events at the Tropicana, intended to be shaped around the story of See Monster this summer, passed with few visitors.
Icescape, the UK's largest indoor ice rink and normally held at the former lido, is now also looking to find an alternative venue this winter too.
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