A giant steel and fibreglass figure, around 50m high by 100m wide, will be a centrepiece exhibit of the new Millennium Dome being built in Greenwich, London.

But officials overseeing the figure, which could be silver in colour and will be hollow to allow people to walk around inside, have not yet decided whether it will be male, female or androgynous.

If it is built to plan, however, it will be around twice the height and width of the new angel sculpture being erected this week in Gateshead in the north-east of England.

Gateshead's angel is soon to be Britain's largest sculpture, but Millennium figure will dwarf it

The figure will not reach the height of the Statue of Liberty in New York. But, sitting or reclining on the floor of the Dome with its limbs spreading out, it will be 20 feet (6 metres) wider than the Statue of Liberty is tall.

According to some reports, the figure was originally going to be male but it was then decided to build a huge mother figure, dubbed Britannia, which could be accompanied by a smaller child figure.

However, a spokesperson for the New Millennium Experience Company, which is handling the matter, dismissed these reports as "speculation".

"There will be a body in the dome and it will be on that kind of scale. No decision has yet been taken on whether it will be androgynous, male or female," he added.

Peter Mandelson may be the one to decide if Britannia will rule

The spokesperson confirmed that the steel and fibreglass figure will house exhibits: "The idea is you would be able to physically go inside and there will be designs and interactive exhibits looking at functions of the body, medicine and health in the future."

A large-scale model of the figure could be ready for February 24, when Peter Mandelson, the government minister in charge of Millennium celebrations, will unveil some of the Dome's top attractions.

The ceremony will provide Mr Mandelson with a key platform to impress potential corporate sponsors of the £758 million project.

Meanwhile, the New Millennium Experience Company has denied putting the Dome up for sale.

The company insists it has not signed any contracts with investment bank Goldman Sachs to handle the sell-off of the Greenwich structure, valued around £40 million.

A decision on the future use of the site would, however, be taken in the year 2000, the company said.

The announcement came after reports that Goldman Sachs had been called in to find a buyer to redevelop the building at the end of 12 months of celebrations.

A number of parties including a consortium led by banking giant HSBC and P&O, which owns London's Earl's Court and Olympia exhibition venues, were believed to be interested.
 

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