New York City Waterfalls - NYC Waterfall Project

New York City is hosting an exciting art exhibit featuring spectacular man-made waterfalls 90 to 120 feet (27 to 37 meters). They are softly lit at night and available for everyone to see. There are 4 waterfalls in total.

The New York City Waterfalls were constructed using building elements that are ubiquitous throughout New York: scaffolding is the backbone of the structures, and pumps bring water from the East River to the top; the water then falls from heights of 90 to 120 feet back into the river. Fish and aquatic life are protected by filtering the water through intake pools suspended in the river. To build the Waterfalls, Public Art Fund partnered with Tishman Construction Corporation and has engaged a team of design, engineering and construction professionals.

The New York City Waterfalls are visible by land and boat, and because of their proximity to one another, viewers can see multiple waterfalls from various vantage points in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Governors Island. Dedicated boat journeys to view the Waterfalls, organized by the Public Art Fund in partnership with Circle Line Downtown, leave from Pier 16 in Manhattan and provide up-close views of the installations. The Circle Line will provide free and discounted trips daily for the public. The free Governors Island Ferry, which runs every Friday, Saturday and Sunday for the length of the project, and the Staten Island Ferry also provide views of the waterfalls at Governors Island and between Piers 4 and 5 in Brooklyn. Download the brochure.

The East River and New York Harbor will host the falls this summer. The locations are:

^{There are plenty of locations to view
the falls from, with the prime spots listed below. After
visiting ourselves, we highly recommend Piers 16 & 17 at
the South Street Seaport. There's a mall and many shops,
the tours start here, and you get the best view of the
Brooklyn Bridge waterfall. A quick walk will get you to Pier
11, which offers another excellent view.}

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The New York City Waterfall Project has closed Oct. 13 2008. This page will remain up as a reference to this exciting art project.

Final dates have been set:
Thursday, June 26^th through Monday October 13^thThe hours the waterfalls are running have been cut to reduce the impact on surrounding plants and trees Click here to read more about why. The hours of operation will be Tuesdays and Thursdays through Sunday from 12:30 pm. to 9 p.m., and Mondays and Wednesdays from 5.30 p.m. to 9 p.m., through the scheduled end of the exhibition on Oct. 13."

Who? ^{(back
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The project is the brainchild of Danish artist Olafur Eliasson. Eliasson is considered one of his generation’s most influential artists. Throughout his career, he has taken inspiration from natural elements and phenomena, such as light, wind, fog, and water, to create sculptures and installations that evoke sensory experiences. He is perhaps best known for The weather project (2003) at Tate Modern in London, a giant sun made of 200 yellow lamps, mirrors and mist that transformed the museum’s massive Turbine Hall and drew over 2 million visitors during its five-month installation.

Olafur Eliasson was born in Copenhagen in 1967, and grew up in both Iceland and Denmark. He attended the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen and currently divides his time between his family home in Copenhagen and his studio in Berlin. Studio Olafur Eliasson is a laboratory for spatial research that employs a team of 30 architects, engineers, craftsmen, and assistants who work together to conceptualize, test, engineer, and construct installations, sculptures, large-scale projects, and commissions. Recent works reflect Eliasson’s increased interest in architecture and the built environment. Since the mid-1990s, he has presented his work in numerous exhibitions and outdoor venues, and his work is currently on view in a major mid-career retrospective at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art through February 24, 2008, which will be expanded at The Museum of Modern Art and PS 1 Contemporary Art Center in New York opening on April 20, 2008.

“One of Eliasson’s great strengths as an artist is his ability to captivate viewers, which he will do by integrating the spectacular beauty of nature into the urban landscape on a dramatic scale,” said Steiner, curator of The New York City Waterfalls. Eliasson’s work often involves industrial materials that, when brought together, create dramatic installations that are as beautiful as they are unexpected.

“In developing The New York City Waterfalls, I have tried to work with today’s complex notion of public spaces,” said Eliasson. “The Waterfalls appear in the midst of the dense social, environmental, and political tissue that makes up the heart of New York City. They will give people the possibility to reconsider their relationships to the spectacular surroundings, and I hope to evoke experiences that are both individual and enhance a sense of collectivity.”

Why? ^{(back
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The New York City Waterfalls provides an opportunity to highlight and celebrate the dramatic revitalization of the City’s waterfront. Over the past six years, the City has launched a number of key initiatives to open the waterfront for public use, including several significant capital projects, such as the creation of the Harbor District and the development of Brooklyn Bridge Park, Governors Island, and the East River Waterfront promenade in Lower Manhattan. In addition, as part of PlaNYC, the City has committed to open 90% of New York City’s waterways for recreation by reducing water pollution.

The bottom line is tourism dollars. The city is expecting tourism revenues to increase by $55 Million due to this $15 million exhibition. It seems as though the plan is working, although it's too early to tell.

Green? ^{(back
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The Waterfalls have been designed to be sensitive to the environment. The structures will not only protect fish, aquatic life, the river and the shoreline, but will also run on "green power"- electricity generated from renewable resources-for its operations. Public Art Fund is working with Constellation NewEnergy to provide the green energy for the project.

The New York City Waterfall Project has closed Oct. 13 2008. This page will remain up as a reference to this exciting art project.

The Circle Line Downtown is offering official tours dedicated to give you the best views of the man-made falls along the East River. There are three types of tours available. We experienced the 1-hour Zephyr Seaport Liberty Cruise, and found it to be a very comfortable ride, with plenty of sights and information.

New York Water Taxi is offering tours that will take you past all the waterfalls and the Statue of Liberty. Tours are expected to take an hour. Hotel and cruise packages are also available.

BOAT	NY Water Taxis
DEPARTS	South Street Seaport and Battery Park
DATES	June 26th through October 13th
TIME Weekdays	South St Seaport: 11:00am, 12:00pm, 1:00pm, 2:00pm, 3:00pm, 4:00pm, 5:00pm Battery Park: 11:15am, 12:15pm, 1:15pm, 2:15pm, 3:15pm, 4:15pm, 5:15pm
TIME Weekends	South St Seaport: 11:00am, 12:00pm, 1:00pm, 2:00pm, 3:00pm, 4:00pm, 5:00pm, 6:00pm Battery Park: 11:15am, 12:15pm, 1:15pm, 2:15pm, 3:15pm, 4:15pm, 5:15pm, 6:15pm
PRICE	Adults: $25, Seniors $20, Kids $15
	Call (212) 742-1969 ext 0 for tickets or buy online.

More information? ^{(back
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Check this page often for more updates, photos details about the New York City Waterfalls or visit our discussion board to see what people are saying about it.