Workers Begin Laying Foundation For Pier's Echelman Sculpture

ST. PETERSBURG, FL -- It might not look very impressive right now. But soon the foundation work will be completed for the St. Pete Pier sculpture. Then the creative process by fiber artist Janet Echelman will get underway.

Work began last week on the foundation for the billowing aerial net sculpture expected to be in place within the 26-acre St. Pete Pier district by December.

The $2.8 million outdoor sculpture will be the main feature of what will become a family park and gardens.

Echelman, who now lives in Boston but grew up in Tampa Bay, has become known internationally for her massive, flowing net sculptures installed around the world, including in Madrid, London, Mexico City and Washington, D.C.

The sculptures are formed from strong, highly engineered fibers in vibrant colors. The fibers are braided, knotted and spliced together to form a lightweight net that moves and billows in the wind. The sculptures are further accented with colored lights.

Each sculpture is specifically designed for the city and environment in which it is installed. She's named the sculpture for the pier "Bending Arc." She said it was inspired by memories of the old pier and the beaches she played at as a child.

The sculpture's name was inspired by a quote from 19th-century Boston Unitarian preacher Theodore Parker: “I do not pretend to understand the moral universe, the arc is a long one ... but from what I see, I am sure it bends towards justice.”

Echelman said the sculpture at the pier will be her largest. Created from 84 miles of fiber, it will soar 76 feet high and spread 428 feet across the pier district.

In the meantime, the first of 700 new trees have been planted on the property to provide a shady, park-like setting from the Pier Approach to Spa Beach.

Work on the $76 million St. Pete Pier project began in June 2017 and is expected to be completed at the end of 2020.

The project took a major step forward last month when concrete was poured for the fifth floor of the Pier Head building, a task that required 77 concrete trucks to pour 767 cubic yards of concrete. Construction of the Pier Head building, which will house Doc Ford's restaurant and the Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center, will continue through this fall.

In addition to witnessing the emergence of the Echelman sculpture, residents will be able to watch this summer as construction of the Pier Gateway begins, market stalls are delivered and installed and site preparation begins for the kid's playground featuring the Kraken created by Earthscape Play.

To learn more about the progress of the St. Pete Pier District, click here.

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