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How a 1-Ton Sculpture Will Float 365 Feet Above the Greenway

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We've known for a while now that a ginormous aerial sculpture by Brookline-based artist Janet Echelman would grace the airspace above the Rose Kennedy Greenway for the warmer months of 2015. Above is a just-released rendering of what that aerial sculpture will look like, courtesy of Studio Echelman. The installation, scheduled to go up May 3, is a collaboration between the Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy, Studio Echelman, design-software firm Autodesk, engineering outfit Arup and building concern Shawmut Design and Construction.

How will the sculpture work, exactly? Its fibers (which are 15 times stronger than steel, mind you) will be attached to three high-rise buildings at four spots around Fort Point Channel Park in the Greenway's central portion. More than 100 miles of rope and around 500,000 hand-knitted knots will also be involved in keeping it afloat. The design is meant to evoke the 18th-century mountain razed to add land to the Harbor as well as the public space created by the Big Dig.

The sculpture will soar to 365 feet at its highest altitude and span some 600 feet at its widest; it is also expected to unfold over some 20,050 square feet, or roughly half an acre. Oh, and it will weigh one ton. Look for it through SeptemberOctober. Can't miss it.
· 12 Aerial Sculptures Like the One Planned for the Greenway [Curbed Boston]

Rose Kennedy Greenway

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