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Alamo (sculpture)

Alamo
Just another Alamo afternoon.jpg
(2010)
Artist Bernard (Tony) Rosenthal
Year 1967
Type Steel
Dimensions 2.4 m × 2.4 m × 2.4 m (8 ft × 8 ft × 8 ft)
Location Astor Place traffic island, Lafayette Street at 8th Street, Manhattan, New York
Coordinates Coordinates: 40°43′48″N 73°59′28″W / 40.73000°N 73.99111°W / 40.73000; -73.99111

Alamo, also known as the Astor Place Cube or simply The Cube, is an outdoor sculpture by Bernard (Tony) Rosenthal, located on Astor Place, in the East Village, Manhattan, New York City. It takes the form of a black cube, 8 feet (2.4 m) long on each side, mounted on a corner. The cube is made of Cor-Ten steel and weighs about 1,800 pounds (820 kg). The faces of the cube are not flat but have various indentations, protrusions, and ledges. The sculpture's name, Alamo, is designated on a small plaque on one corner of the base and was selected by the artist's wife because its scale and mass reminded her of the Alamo Mission.

Installed in 1967 as part of the "Sculpture and the Environment" organized by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the Cube was one of 25 temporary art installations that were intended to remain for a six-month period, however local residents successfully petitioned the city to keep the Alamo. It has since become a popular meeting place in the East Village. It stands in the middle of an intersection, across the street from two entrances to the Astor Place station of the New York City Subway's 4 6 <6> trains, as well as the Cooper Union Foundation Building.

Although not within its design, the Cube can be spun on its vertical axis. As the heavy Cube takes more than one person to rotate, it has become a way for friends and strangers to bond.


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