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Project timeline

June 2001: The 2hD team enters the Great East Midlands Landmark Competition
Sky Vault is at this time only known as the 'Cablenet Structure'.
October 2001: Sky Vault wins the competition
Sky Vault is elected by the people of the East Midlands to become the landmark for the region. Lord Richard Attenborough, patron of the landmark competition, presents the award to the 2hD team during a ceremony in Leicester.
February 2002: Launch of the Sky Vault website
February 2002: Sky Vault exhibition tour
Starting to work on making Sky Vault a reality, the 2hD team sets off for a tour of the East Midlands cities to present the landmark project to the people of the region. Their objective: to gather public support and get feedback from the people who are going to make it happen, the East Midlanders! Thomas Fish Construction teams up by sponsoring a physical model of the structure and, together with computer animations produced by 2hD, the exhibition starts its tour in Nottingham where it is on display from 18th until 21st February 2002.
April 2002: What is regional identity?
Sky Vault features on many occasions in the regional media, generating debate across the region. What is Sky Vault? Does the region need a landmark? The BBC creates a new page on its website dedicated to the project to promote the discussion.
July 2002: The Sky Vault Exhibition visits Northampton
The exhibition continues its tour around the East Midlands.
September 2002: The Sky Vault Exhibition in Derby and Leicester
The 2hD team presents the Sky Vault landmark to the people of Derby and Leicester.
November 2002: Sky Vault meets the East Midlands businesses
After touring around the region to gather public support, the Sky Vault project is presented to the businesses of the region at the East Midlands Property and Business Show in Nottingham. Several businesses support the project, offering their professional expertise. This leads to the formation of the Steering Board.
December 2002: First Sky Vault project Steering Board meeting
The Steering Board is set up to provide guidance and decision making for the Sky Vault project, independently of any corporate interests. From now on, the Sky Vault Steering board meets on a monthly basis to take strategic decisions about the development of the project. Read more about the Steering Board...
January 2003: Sky Vault goes national!
Following the first site prospects, the Sky vault project receives a wave of media coverage across the nation, featuring in three national newspapers and on the national BBC Radio 4 Today programme!
June 2003: Sky Vault Buildability workshop
Technical experts from all over the country gather to evaluate the buildability of Sky Vault. Discussions cover erection process, site requirements, structural design and project planning. Among the delegates: Bob Gordon, Chief Engineer at MACE (the projct planners of the London Eye), Eddie Pugh, Partner at Buro Happold (structural engineers of the Millennium Dome), Richard Hawkes, technical Director of Westbury Structures and Gary Simmons, technical director of William Hare, together with members of the Sky Vault Steering Board. The workshop concludes that Sky Vault can be built.
Autumn 2004: Announcement of the site shortlist
After many months of appraisal of potential locations for the landmark, the final shortlisting of the preferred sites is made public.
April 2005: The new Sky Vault website is launched
Summer 2005: Beginning of the feasibility study
Before building Sky Vault, many aspects of the project are carefully considered to make sure that everything goes smoothly, from construction process to benefits to the community, and other aspects such as long term maintenance of the structure and finance. All these analyses are carried out during the feasibility study stages and sponsors are approached to fund this early stage of the project.
December 2005: Site selection
The National Forest in Leicestershire is announced as the preferred site for the Sky Vault.
Spring-Summer 2006: Living Landmarks Lottery funding bid
The Sky Vault enters the Living Landmark competition.
Spring 2007: Design development
Following the selection of the National Forest as the future home for Sky Vault, the team focuses on the development of a site-specific version of the landmark, to integrate it with the existing landscape and infrastructures and maximise its benefits to the local communities.