THE ALAN BOYSON HULL ART TRAIL
The former Hull Co-op / BHS building is unique for having three Boyson artworks. Hull is the only city to have this many Boyson murals.
THREE SHIPS mural (1963)
The Three Ships mosaic, designed by Alan Boyson in 1963, dominates Hull’s skyline from its prominent position on the former Co-operative Society store in King Edward Square. At 66 × 64 feet, this curved glass mural with over a million tesserae was once considered the largest mosaic in the UK. Depicting three stylised trawlers, it remains one of Hull’s most recognisable pieces of public art.
According to local lore, the masts spell out the word HULL. Boyson also wove into the design the Latin motto Res Per Industriam Prosperae — “prosperity through industry” — a message to tie in to the Co-op brief to “unite the community through art” linking the city’s maritime and working-class heritage.
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Historical Context
When Hull’s Co-operative Society commissioned the mosaic, they wanted more than decoration: they wanted a civic landmark. Boyson’s work rose from the trauma of the Hull Blitz, which had devastated the city two decades earlier and demolished the original Co-op store. The new Co-op building, with the Three Ships at its heart, stood as a confident gesture of renewal, modernity, and community pride.
Boyson’s versatility as an artist is evident here — working on an architectural scale, with industrial materials, to create a design that still feels both monumental and intricate. While most of his works across the country have been lost, Three Ships has endured as a touchstone for Hull’s cultural and civic identity.
Campaign to Save Three Ships
In the 21st century, as the former Co-op store fell into disrepair, the future of Three Ships came under threat. Campaigners, heritage groups, and members of the public rallied to save it, recognising not only its artistic value but also its symbolic role in Hull’s history.
During preparations for redevelopment, the building underwent extensive asbestos investigations, sparking urgent debates about the risks to the mosaic. The outcome following Grade II Listing of ‘Three Ships’ was a commitment by Hull City Council to preserve the mosaic as part of the Albion Square regeneration scheme and remove the asbestos within the building.
Conservation & Current Status
Today, Three Ships is secured, with a conservation strategy in place. Structural bracing ensures its stability while redevelopment work continues around it. The mural remains visible from King Edward Square, where it still dominates the city centre vista.
Plans are ongoing to ensure the mosaic’s long-term survival, making it one of the few large-scale Boyson works still in existence.
Explore Further
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Drone footage of Three Ships, Hull.
© Blanche Pictures/SHIPS in the SKY 2019
Photograph by architect E.P.Andrew c.1962.
Alan Boyson painting of the initial design for Three Ships, c.1962.
Clipping from Hull Daily Mail, 21 November 1963.
Three Ships in 2018 before listing and redevelopment.
Ships in the Sky 2019 drone image showing the former Co-op / BHS with Three Ships mosaic positioned on the bottom right corner of the building.