Finalists for the $2 million Gateway project signs revealed and it includes the Pink Poodle

A GOOGLE-style circle, a Pink Poodle re-creation or a half circle that changes colours, these are the failed finalists for a $2m M1 art installation greeting visitors to the Gold Coast. Which one do you like? VOTE IN OUR POLL

THE failed finalists for a $2 million art installation greeting visitors along the M1 to the Gold Coast have been revealed.

While light installations spelling out ‘Gold Coast’ and ‘GC’ will be erected at both north and south gateways to the Gold Coast, the council this week revealed what might have been.

These are the designs from the tenders who missed out:

The first design was two multicoloured circles which appeared to have taken inspiration from the Google logo.

The artist’s impression of the circle structure.

The colour of the circle would appear to change as cars passed the welcome sign.

Another design featured two half circles which would both light up at night.

An artist's impression of one of the fail Gateway signs for the Gold Coast.

The circles would appear blue at night and yellow during the day.

The final design took inspiration from the Gold Coast’s past, featuring a recreation of the classic Pink Poodle sign.

An artist's impression of one of the failed Gateway signs for the Gold Coast.

The sign would have also been lit by neon lights.

The Gold Coast City Council earlier this year revealed the winner would be a light display spelling out the words ‘Gold Coast’ at the northern gateway and ‘GC’ at the southern gateway.

An artist impression the winning Gateway design.

The signs were designed to be the Gold Coast’s answer to the Hollywood sign or the ‘Welcome to Las Vegas’ sign and are a part of the Commonwealth Games legacy project.

One will be placed on the Gold Coast Highway at Bilinga and the other in the M1 median strip in Yatala.

Work on landscaping the southern gateway began last week.