THE CENTERPIECE of a school science building has been unveiled, spanning three floors and standing 10 metres high.

The Science Fusion Tower, which rises through the stairwell in Abingdon School, was uncovered on Tuesday.

The recycled steel sculpture depicts a network of mangrove roots, growing into layers of ‘gas’ reaching up into a canopy of hexagons, representing the structure of graphene.

Each of the three tiers represents biology, physics and chemistry respectively, all crafted by sculptor Matthew Lane Sanderson and funded by former pupil Martin Iredale.

It is the central point in the school’s Yang Science Centre, which opened in October.

Felicity Lusk, head of the school in Park Road, said: “Matthew Lane Sanderson’s magnificent Science Fusion Tower will wend its way through the Yang Science Centre in perpetuity. It is a wonderful example of how creativity and beauty are throughout our lives.”

Sculptor Mr Lane Sanderson said: “There are some conceptual ‘keys to life’ within the structure and discernible for those who are prepared to find them.

“I hope all who visit the Science Centre may enjoy both the visual and cerebral challenge presented for years to come. It is my aim, not merely to decorate a building, but to inspire many generations of pupils to take up the challenges of science at Abingdon.”