Video: The Astor Place Cube Has Been Removed For... A While

Last month, as the Astor Place Reconstruction Project work got closer to it, the Astor Place Cube (a.k.a. the Alamo) got packaged up like a present. It remained in the area under its wooden covering, but at the time Jonathan Kuhn of NYC Parks alerted us that it would eventually be removed—"The protections of Tony Rosenthal's Alamo, or Cube sculpture, are an interim measure until the sculpture is removed off-site for restoration and repainting and out of harm's way while the area around it undergoes reconstruction." And this morning, the 1,800-pound cube was lifted from its place:

The spinning cube—created by the late artist Tony Rosenthal—was installed in 1967, and while meant to be temporary, remained as a permanent fixture. It has only been removed once before, in 2005, for maintenance—at that time Rosenthal was still alive, and helped unveil the refurbished cube. As for its return, that may not happen until next summer, when the project is completed.