"Needle Tower" at the Hirshhorn
"Needle Tower" outside the Hirshhorn Museum
Kenneth Snelson
American, born Pendleton, Oregon, 1927
Needle Tower, 1968
Aluminum and stainless steel
Kenneth Snelson conceived and built Needle Tower in 1968 as part of his exhibition of five monumental sculptures in New York's Bryant Park. In these works, he adapted engineering principles and mathematical calculations to create a new kind of tensile structure.
Instead of the solid mass and weight traditionally expected of monumental sculptures, the tapered, five-story-high Needle Tower is made from aviation-quality aluminum tubes and stainless-steel wire, making it lightweight enough for three installers to lift. The tubes are held together in perfect balance by a single continuous wire threaded through two small holes in the ends of each. The tower rests only on the thin rims of three tubes, yet the structure is so well designed that it withstands severe storms.
While the technology is fascinating, the sculpture also conveys a metaphysical message. Snelson's idea evolved from a fantasy he had of constructing a gossamer tensile structure so tall and finely tapered that the top point would seem to disappear into infinity. Standing directly under the sculpture and looking up, the viewer discovers that the tubes form the shape of a star, inspiring the astrophysical, astrological, and religious associations of that symbol, while heightening the sense of perpetuity.
Adapted from text written by Valerie J. Fletcher.
"Needle Tower" at the Hirshhorn
"Needle Tower" outside the Hirshhorn Museum
Kenneth Snelson
American, born Pendleton, Oregon, 1927
Needle Tower, 1968
Aluminum and stainless steel
Kenneth Snelson conceived and built Needle Tower in 1968 as part of his exhibition of five monumental sculptures in New York's Bryant Park. In these works, he adapted engineering principles and mathematical calculations to create a new kind of tensile structure.
Instead of the solid mass and weight traditionally expected of monumental sculptures, the tapered, five-story-high Needle Tower is made from aviation-quality aluminum tubes and stainless-steel wire, making it lightweight enough for three installers to lift. The tubes are held together in perfect balance by a single continuous wire threaded through two small holes in the ends of each. The tower rests only on the thin rims of three tubes, yet the structure is so well designed that it withstands severe storms.
While the technology is fascinating, the sculpture also conveys a metaphysical message. Snelson's idea evolved from a fantasy he had of constructing a gossamer tensile structure so tall and finely tapered that the top point would seem to disappear into infinity. Standing directly under the sculpture and looking up, the viewer discovers that the tubes form the shape of a star, inspiring the astrophysical, astrological, and religious associations of that symbol, while heightening the sense of perpetuity.
Adapted from text written by Valerie J. Fletcher.