Olafur Eliasson creates waterfalls along East River in New York
02:22 PM CDT on Tuesday, June 17, 2008
NEW YORK – If you're visiting New York City this summer, don't be surprised to find a waterfall next to the Brooklyn Bridge.
The spectacle will be one of four man-made waterfalls built on the shores of the city's East River by Scandinavian artist Olafur Eliasson. The water will course over scaffolding 90 to 120 feet high, from June 26 through Oct. 13, from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, and will be illuminated after sunset.
The locations will be the Brooklyn base of the Brooklyn Bridge, Governors Island, Pier 35 in Lower Manhattan, and between Piers 4 and 5 in Brooklyn.
There will be numerous public vantage points, including from the Brooklyn and Manhattan waterfront and from the pedestrian path of the Brooklyn Bridge.
Circle Line Downtown (1-866-925-4631; www.circlelinedowntown.com) is the official boat tour operator.
Other cruises offering views of the falls include those by South Street Seaport Museum (212-748-8786), New York Water Taxi (212-742-1969) and Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises (212-563-3200). For big spenders, Circle Line offers a $50,000 private tour, complete with champagne, a pair of diamond earrings, dinner for two and a night in a hotel presidential suite.
A number of hotels, including the Plaza Athenee, Roosevelt and Mandarin Oriental, are offering special packages in conjunction with the waterfalls. The Ritz- Carlton New York at Battery Park has rooms that will have a view of the falls; packages starting at $480 a night include an in-room telescope, breakfast for two and two boat tour tickets. Details at www.ritzcarlton.com.
Mr. Eliasson's project comes three years after artist Christo and his wife, Jeanne-Claude, draped 23 miles of Central Park footpaths with orange fabric gates. That event drew an estimated 4 million visitors to the park, including 1.5 million out-of- towners.
Mr. Eliasson is known for using elements of nature in his art. A retrospective of his work opened at the Museum of Modern Art in April.
The waterfalls exhibition was commissioned by the Public Art Fund, which is organizing the event in collaboration with New York City.
Details at http://nycvisit.com/waterfalls or www.nycwaterfalls.org.