The Cube no longer spins as it awaits needed repairs.
After falling into a dangerous state of disrepair, the “Astor Place Cube,” known officially as the “Alamo,” has been held in place since January, putting an end to decades of spinning.
The Cube was made in 1967 by Bernard (Tony) Rosenthal as part of the city’s Sculpture and the Environment program. Intended to stand for a mere six months, the sculpture became so well-loved by residents that its removal was petitioned, and the Cube remained.
The sculpture is part of a larger series of cubes, and an identical cube titled “Endover” was installed at the University of Michigan’s Ann Arbor campus in 1968.
An 11-year resident of New York City, David, 33, spoke fondly of his memories with the Alamo’s “sister cube.”
“I’m super sad that [the Alamo] doesn’t spin anymore because, when I first moved here in 2012, it spun, and it reminded me of college,” he said.
The Department of Transportation (DOT), which oversees the Alamo’s care, insists that the braces are temporary.
“DOT is planning a repair to restore The Cube to its original, spinning condition. This brace is keeping the structure stable in the meantime,” DOT spokesperson Vincent Barone told the New York Post.
“We’d love to see it so people can spin it again,” he said. “That’s what Tony wanted — he wanted it to be enjoyed and not to be put in a cradle.”
A Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) bus driver echoed the artist’s intentions.
“It’s nice when I see people spinning it. I’d like to see it spinning again,” said the driver, who declined to share his name.
Monumental and public art repairs can take decades, even if the city fully intends on completing the project in a timely manner. It is unclear how long the Alamo may remain in this state.
For a number of East Village passersby, the Cube’s lack of spinning abilities is not something that crosses their mind.
“Did it ever spin?” three men asked me as they sat outside Astor Place’s Mud Coffee outpost, saying “it probably was better” when it spun.
Laura, 33, said that she’s “never been in the spinning era.”
“By the time I moved here, the cube was not spinning,” she said, but that, “yes, absolutely,” it would have been fun to have spun the cube herself.
The interactive nature of the Cube was arguably one of its most important qualities, especially considering the high volume of people passing through the plaza daily, but it still serves a purpose. An excellent meeting-point-marker, shade-giver for those who sit on its pedestal, or Astor Place identity-provider, the Cube is not defunct.
“It’s still nice that it’s there,” said Eric, 34, as he gazed at it while waiting for his coffee.
Comments