Installation of Fulton Center’s Sky Reflector-Net, An Art Exhibit on the Oculus of the Transit Hub

Dreary commuters are in for a brighter commute as the Fulton Center construction is nearing its opening in 2014. The Lower Manhattan transit centerpiece will service 11 subway lines, PATH trains, the World Financial Center hub, and Hudson River ferries. This is no ordinary station, however, as it will also house 65,000 square feet of retail and art space.

Its first and undoubtedly largest art piece has been completed: an art/engineering/architectural collaboration entitled “Sky Reflector-Net.” The design of the Fulton Center called for an eight story high oculus, pictured above, and the Sky Reflector-Net, composed of 112 tensioned cables, 224 high-strength rods and nearly 10,000 individual stainless steel components, is affixed to the window and reflects the sunlight from above.

Sky Reflector-Net (2013), an integrated artwork, is a collaboration with James Carpenter Design Associates, Grimshaw Architects, and Arup, and is the largest ever commissioned by MTA’s Arts for Transit program, with the help of Urban Design and MTA Capital Construction Company (MTACC). It serves architectural purpose by expanding the space in the center of Fulton Center, and also has technical functionality in the operation and security of the facility. This concept was refined into a steel cable net structure supporting nearly 1,000 coated aluminum panels using flexible, universal node connection assemblies.

The MTA Info YouTube channel has uploaded a time-lapse video of the installation of this art piece (featured above). In the exclusive behind-the-scenes look, the interior of the Fulton Center is taking shape with the completion of the Sky Reflector-Net. Here are some more shots from the video:

Stay tuned as more information about the Fulton Center transit hub surfaces. Check out our previous coverage of Arts for Transit.