The spire was designed by Ian Ritchie Architects, ...who sought an "Elegant and dynamic simplicity [to] bridging art and technology". Construction began on 18 December 2002 when the first section was put in place.[4] In all six sections, of about 20m high each, were placed, with the last added on 21 January 2003. It is an elongated cone of diameter 3 m (9.8 ft) at the base, narrowing to 15 cm (5.9 in) at the top. Construction of the world's tallest sculpture[5] was delayed because of difficulty in obtaining planning permission and environmental regulations. It is constructed from eight hollow tubes of stainless steel and features a tuned mass damper to counteract sway. The steel underwent shot peening in order to subtly reflect the light falling on it. The metal changes colours due to its reflective properties. (Source Wikipedia) The official name of the monument is "Monument of Light".