New York City Waterfalls

Last updated
Waterfall under the Brooklyn Bridge. The bridge in the background is the Manhattan Bridge. Nyc-waterfalls.jpg
Waterfall under the Brooklyn Bridge. The bridge in the background is the Manhattan Bridge.

New York City Waterfalls is a public art project by artist Olafur Eliasson, in collaboration with the Public Art Fund, consisting of four man-made waterfalls placed around New York City along the East River. The most famous was at the Brooklyn Bridge in lower Manhattan. [1] [2] At $15.5 million, it is the most expensive public arts project since Christo and Jeanne-Claude's installation of The Gates in Central Park. [2] [3] The waterfalls officially began flowing on June 26, 2008. They ran from 7 am to 10 pm (under illumination after sunset), until October 13, 2008.

Contents

Background

Location and construction

The Waterfall under the Brooklyn Bridge from the South Street Seaport NYC Waterfalls Brooklyn Br.jpg
The Waterfall under the Brooklyn Bridge from the South Street Seaport
The Waterfall at Pier 35 Pier35Waterfall.jpg
The Waterfall at Pier 35

The sites chosen for the four waterfalls were the East River Esplanade's Pier 35 in Manhattan; beneath the Brooklyn Bridge in DUMBO between piers 4 and 5, also in Brooklyn; and Governors Island to activate spaces that typically were not. [4]

Work on erecting the four support scaffolds began in mid-March, 2008. On the shore of Governors Island construction teams used pile driving to secure the scaffolding in place. This method was not used at the other locations for various reasons, including the effects of vibrations through car and subway tunnels. Once completed, the scaffolding would total 64,000 square feet (5,900 m2) and weigh 270 tons. [5] Eliasson has said that the scaffolds themselves were designed to blend in with their urban surroundings, but that he purposely did not try to conceal them, explaining he "want[s] people to know that this is both a natural phenomenon and a cultural one.” [2]

Construction involved the work of 108 different people, including two environmental consultants. The installation was designed to be ecologically-friendly. Some example of this are energy efficient LED lighting by USA based LED Lighting Designers & Manufacturers Boca Flasher, Inc., energy purchased from renewable sources [6] and the filters used to keep aquatic life from taking a ride up-and-over the waterfall. [2] When the project closed the materials were intended to be made available for re-use in a future project. [5]

Costs

The over $15 million project had no city funding and was paid for entirely by private organizations, business and donors. Mayor Michael Bloomberg's company, Bloomberg LP, donated $13.5 million. [3] With estimates that the waterfalls could generate up to $55 million for the local economies, the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation gave $2 million to the effort. [1] [3]

Environmental impact

During the run, trees and shrubs along the Brooklyn Heights Promenade were damaged as a result of the saltwater blown into the parks during high winds. Several steps were taken to solve this problem which included cutting the running time to 50 hours a week instead of the original 101. [7] At the Brooklyn Bridge, the owner of The River Café claimed customer loss and plant replacements as a result of the winds on the falls. [8] The known damages were getting attention to the point that The Brooklyn Heights Association asked the committee to take down the falls after Labor Day, instead of the original date. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brooklyn Bridge</span> Bridge in New York City

The Brooklyn Bridge is a hybrid cable-stayed/suspension bridge in New York City, spanning the East River between the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. Opened on May 24, 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge was the first fixed crossing of the East River. It was also the longest suspension bridge in the world at the time of its opening, with a main span of 1,595.5 feet (486.3 m) and a deck 127 ft (38.7 m) above mean high water. The span was originally called the New York and Brooklyn Bridge or the East River Bridge but was officially renamed the Brooklyn Bridge in 1915.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Site-specific art</span> Artwork created for a certain place

Site-specific art is artwork created to exist in a certain place. Typically, the artist takes the location into account while planning and creating the artwork. Site-specific art is produced both by commercial artists, and independently, and can include some instances of work such as sculpture, stencil graffiti, rock balancing, and other art forms. Installations can be in urban areas, remote natural settings, or underwater.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fulton Ferry, Brooklyn</span> United States historic place

Fulton Ferry is a small area adjacent to Dumbo in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is named for the Fulton Ferry, a prominent ferry line that crossed the East River between Manhattan and Brooklyn, and is also the name of the ferry slip on the Brooklyn side. The neighborhood is part of Brooklyn Community District 2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transportation in New York City</span>

The transportation system of New York City is a network of complex infrastructural systems. New York City, being the most populous city in the United States, has a transportation system which includes one of the largest and busiest subway systems in the world; the world's first mechanically ventilated vehicular tunnel; and an aerial tramway. New York City is home to an extensive bus system in each of the five boroughs; citywide and Staten Island ferry systems; and numerous yellow taxis and boro taxis throughout the city. Private cars are less used compared to other cities in the rest of the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olafur Eliasson</span> Danish-Icelandic artist

Olafur Eliasson is an Icelandic–Danish artist known for sculptured and large-scaled installation art employing elemental materials such as light, water, and air temperature to enhance the viewer's experience.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New York City Housing Authority</span> Public development corporation responsible for New York Citys public and leased housing

The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) is a public development corporation which provides public housing in New York City, and is the largest public housing authority in North America. Created in 1934 as the first agency of its kind in the United States, it aims to provide decent, affordable housing for low- and moderate-income New Yorkers throughout the five boroughs of New York City. NYCHA also administers a citywide Section 8 Leased Housing Program in rental apartments. NYCHA developments include single and double family houses, apartment units, singular floors, and shared small building units, and commonly have large income disparities with their respective surrounding neighborhood or community. These developments, particularly those including large-scale apartment buildings, are often referred to in popular culture as "projects."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum</span> Art museum in Aarhus, Denmark

The ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum is an art museum in Aarhus, Denmark. The museum was established in 1859 and is the oldest public art museum in Denmark outside Copenhagen. On 7 April 2004, ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum opened with exhibitions in a brand new modern building, 10 stories tall with a total floor area of 20,700 m² and designed by Danish architects Schmidt Hammer Lassen. Today, ARoS is one of the largest art museums in Northern Europe with a total of 980,909 visitors in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Port of New York and New Jersey</span> Port in New York and New Jersey, United States

The Port of New York and New Jersey is the port district of the New York-Newark metropolitan area, encompassing the region within approximately a 25-mile (40 km) radius of the Statue of Liberty National Monument.

Public Art Fund is an independent, non-profit arts organization founded in 1977 by Doris C. Freedman. The organization presents contemporary art in New York City's public spaces through a series of highly visible artists' projects, new commissions, installations, and exhibitions that are emblematic of the organization's mission and innovative history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manhattan Waterfront Greenway</span> Esplanade in Manhattan, New York

The Manhattan Waterfront Greenway is a waterfront greenway for walking or cycling, 32 miles (51 km) long, around the island of Manhattan, in New York City. The largest portions are operated by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. It is separated from motor traffic, and many sections also separate pedestrians from cyclists. There are three principal parts — the East, Harlem and Hudson River Greenways.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Congestion pricing in New York City</span> Traffic congestion fee in New York City

In New York City, a planned congestion pricing scheme will charge vehicles traveling into or within the central business district of Manhattan. First proposed in 2007, this disincentivizing fee to cut down on traffic congestion and pollution was approved and included in the 2019 New York state government budget by the New York State Legislature. As of February 2023, congestion pricing is scheduled to be implemented in the second quarter of 2024. When the congestion charge goes into effect, tolls will be collected electronically and will vary depending on the time of day, type of vehicle, and whether a vehicle has an E-ZPass toll transponder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of transportation in New York City</span>

Transportation in New York City has ranged from strong Dutch authority in the 17th century, expansionism during the industrial era in the 19th century and half of the 20th century, to cronyism during the Robert Moses era. The shape of New York City's transportation system changed as the city did, and the result is an expansive modern-day system of industrial-era infrastructure. New York City, being the most populous city in the United States, has a transportation system which includes one of the largest subway systems in the world; the world's first mechanically ventilated vehicular tunnel; and an aerial tramway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Harlem Art Fund</span>

The West Harlem Art Fund, Inc. is a public art and media organization based in the City of New York, founded in 1998. Savona Bailey-McClain is its Executive Director and Chief Curator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East River Greenway</span> Esplanade in Manhattan, New York

The East River Greenway is an approximately 9.44-mile-long (15.19 km) foreshoreway for walking or cycling on the east side of the island of Manhattan on the East River. It is part of the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway. The largest portions are operated by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. It is separated from motor traffic, and many sections also separate pedestrians from cyclists. The greenway is parallel to the Franklin D. Roosevelt East River Drive for a majority of its length.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Artificial waterfall</span> Architecture resembling a drop in a rivers course

Not to be confused with waterfall created by an artificial dam.

ArtBridge is a public art non-profit organization that was founded in 2009. Working primarily in New York City, ArtBridge's mission is to support local, emerging artists and their communities through large-scale public installations.

The city government of New York City controls a budget of about $78.3 billion a year, as of 2016. Officials receive municipal funding for their campaigns, and are elected for a maximum of two terms. City government is dominated by the Democratic Party, which also normally attracts majority support within the city in State, Congressional, and Presidential elections. The suffrage has been extended in stages since the founding of the state: African-Americans received the vote in 1870 and women in 1920. Since 1968, electoral district boundaries at all levels have been drawn so as to ensure minority representation.

Little Sun is a nonprofit organization founded in 2012 to deliver affordable clean energy in Africa and inspire people to take climate action globally. It was established by the engineer Frederik Ottesen and the artist Olafur Eliasson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Lives Matter art in New York City</span> Public art in New York City related to the Black Lives Matter movement

Many artworks related to the Black Lives Matter movement were created in New York City, during local protests over the murder of George Floyd and other Black Americans.

References

  1. 1 2 Vogel, Carol (2008-01-15). "Waterfalls for New York City's Waterfront". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-06-25.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Vogel, Carol (2008-06-02). "From a Master of Weather, 4 Waterfalls for New York". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-06-25.
  3. 1 2 3 Dobnik, Verena (2008-06-22). "NYC getting 'Waterfalls' off shore of Manhattan". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2008-06-25.
  4. Kim, Angela (28 June 2008). "Weekend America: Waterfalls Along the East River". Weekend America. Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
  5. 1 2 Chan, Sewell (2008-06-16). "Waiting for the Water to Fall". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-06-25.
  6. "Launches The New York City Waterfalls Public Art Project by Artist Olafur Eliasson". nyc.gov. 2008-06-26. Retrieved 2008-06-28.
  7. Portlock, Sarah (2008-09-04). "Victory! Taps tightened on tree-killing 'Waterfalls'". The Brooklyn Paper. Retrieved 2009-08-30.
  8. Fernandez, Manny (2008-10-12). "Waterfalls Exit, but With Unintended Impact". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-08-30.
  9. "New York City 'Waterfalls' installation hours cut in half". Associated Press. 2008-08-30. Retrieved 2009-08-30.