The East Village’s iconic Astor Place cube is getting ready for its closeup.
The enormous, interactive art piece — broken, but set to spin again by summer — was removed by work crews Monday night, so that an engineer can conduct a full restoration of the sculpture.
The restoration is being funded by the estate of its artist, Tony Rosenthal, and is set to wrap up by August, according to the city’s Department of Transportation, when the artwork is expected to return to Astor Place “in its full spinning glory.”
“We are delighted to share the news of The Cube’s restoration this year,” said DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez in a statement. “We are especially grateful for the generosity of the family of the late Tony Rosenthal, the incredibly talented sculptor. Rosenthal’s artistic vision in the 1960s has managed to capture the imagination and spirit of the whole East Village community for decades with an iconic sculpture that is best enjoyed when it is touched and spun with friends.”
The 15-foot, 1,800-pound cube — formally known as Alamo — has not spun since December 2021 following the identification of structural defects, according to a presentation to the city’s Public Design Commission by Rosenthal’s estate and DOT.
It was first installed at Astor Place in 1967. Restored once before by Versteeg Art Fabricators in 2005, “The Cube” has since become a key fixture of the neighborhood, serving as the backdrop for countless community activities.
The piece was last removed from Astor Place in 2014, when DOT created a permanent car-free plaza space. The sculpture was reinstalled to the plaza in 2016, when DOT formally acquired maintenance responsibilities as part of the agency’s Permanent Art portfolio, of which there are 23 works.
“The world keeps spinning — and so will the Alamo Cube!” Scott Hobbs, executive director of the Village Alliance Business Improvement District, said in a statement. “We are thrilled that the city is restoring one of New York City’s most recognizable and beloved public art sculptures. The Alamo Cube has been an iconic landmark in the Village for decades, and the Village Alliance can’t wait for it to spin again.”
The cube’s latest restoration was first announced in March.
