From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Angel of the North. The Angel of the North is a contemporary sculpture, designed by Sir Antony Gormley, located near Gateshead in Tyne and Wear, England. Completed in 1998, it is a steel sculpture of an angel, 20 metres (66 ft) tall, with wings measuring 54 metres (177 ft) across.The wings do not stand straight sideways, but are angled 3.5 degrees forward; Gormley did this to create a sense of embrace.ue to its exposed location, the sculpture was built to withstand winds of over 100 mph (160 km/h). Thus, foundations containing 600 tonnes of concrete anchor the sculpture to rock 70 feet (21 m) below. The sculpture was built at Hartlepool Steel Fabrications Ltd using Corten weather-resistant steel.