King Kong Sculpture: Calculating the Cost to Return Icon to Birmingham
Filmogaz.com has tracked down the large Nicholas Monro-designed ape. It is currently stored at a secure arts facility in Sheffield. The report and photos date from October 2025.
Where the sculpture has been
The original Monro piece appeared in the Bull Ring’s Manzoni Gardens in 1972. Birmingham did not buy it. A car garage on Stratford Road then acquired the work and it later passed into a private family’s care.
That original travelled to Edinburgh, Leeds and Cumbria. The family kept it and declined to sell. A later, recreated version stood in a Jewellery Quarter pop-up park for the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
How the recreation came about
Marcus Hawley, formerly managing director at Cordia Blackswan, commissioned the new statue. He contacted Nicholas Monro and gained the artist’s authorization for a faithful remake.
Monro specified details. He insisted on eye colour, paintwork and a larger scale than before. The finished piece went on display on Great Hampton Row.
Public reaction and reach
The recreated King Kong sculpture drew around 30,000 visitors. It generated extensive online and press attention, including national and international interviews.
Ownership, storage and condition
Tensions over the project contributed to Hawley leaving Cordia Blackswan. He chose to take the sculpture instead of severance.
It spent time in Shropshire before moving to long-term storage in Sheffield. An October 2025 condition report described the work as structurally sound.
The same report noted paint delamination and some bird soiling on the chest. Photographs accompanied the assessment.
Calculating the cost to bring it back
Hawley says he is prepared to sell the piece. He hopes a buyer in Birmingham will keep the work publicly displayed.
| Item | Estimated cost |
|---|---|
| Auction reserve price | £250,000 |
| Annual insurance and maintenance | £2,000 |
| Transportation | £4,000 |
| Paint touch-ups | £4,000 |
Formal decisions on the sculpture’s future are expected within three months. Interested parties can contact Hawley at [email protected].
Debate over returning an icon to Birmingham
Opinion about the ape remains divided. Historian Carl Chinn argued the figure never captured the city’s affections. He questioned its relevance to Birmingham’s history.
Others strongly defend the piece. University librarian James Fisher described seeing it as a joyful memory. Fisher has also documented the sculpture’s full history.
What comes next
The King Kong sculpture now faces a calculation over the cost to return the icon to Birmingham. Its future site remains undecided.
Filmogaz.com will continue to monitor developments and report further details as they emerge.
