There are few things New Yorkers enjoy more than a good real estate story. So it’s probably no surprise that a hot topic of discussion around here just happens to be one of the most unusual “living” arrangements the city has seen in recent years. It’s an 810-square-foot apartment—seemingly precariously perched atop six floors of scaffolding—that gives visitors a unique, up-close look at one of the city’s most well-known landmarks: the Christopher Columbus monument that presides over Columbus Circle. This weekend, I stopped by the recently opened art installation “Discovering Columbus” to see what all the fuss was about.
After waiting in line and climbing 60 feet in the air, visitors are rewarded with not only spectacular views of the city and neighboring Central Park, but also with a tour of a fully furnished “penthouse” apartment—that just happens to have a 13-foot-tall statue of Christopher Columbus as its centerpiece. This, of course, is the statue that has always topped the monument, but here it’s presented in a startling new way. The exhibition is the latest work from conceptual artist Tatzu Nishi, who has spent much of his career creating similar temporary living spaces around iconic structures worldwide.
Check out the slideshow below to find out more and see pictures I snapped of the exhibit, which is well worth checking out. It runs until November 18, and free tickets are available at publicartfund.org.
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Christopher Columbus Monument
http://www.history.com/news/history-blog/files/2012/09/Columbus_image_1.jpg
The monument was built in 1892 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Columbus’ first voyage to the Americas. An Italian-American newspaper, Il Progresso, raised construction costs.
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Columbus Monument Pillar
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The 60-foot granite pillar includes a number of bronze sculptures depicting the three ships of Columbus’ fleet—the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria.
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Columbus Apartment Entrance
http://www.history.com/news/history-blog/files/2012/09/Columbus_image_3.jpg
After walking up 70 steps, here’s your first view of the man himself—and his dozens of houseguests. Visitors can spend up to 30 minutes in the apartment, which is fully furnished with couches, chairs, reading materials and even a 55-inch flat screen television.
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Books on Display
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I’m always curious to see what people have on their bookshelves, and Columbus didn’t disappoint. His reading list features several recent history books, including a number of Civil War-related bestsellers.
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Apartment Wallpaper
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The wallpaper is perhaps not what you’d expect in a high-end Manhattan apartment. Yes, those are cartoon depictions of Michael Jackson, Marilyn Monroe and Mickey Mouse.
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Closeup of Columbus Statue
http://www.history.com/news/history-blog/files/2012/09/Columbus_Image_6.jpg
The exhibit closes later this fall, but the scaffolding will remain in place to allow for a full-scale cleaning and restoration of the 13-foot-tall Columbus statue—one of the first in its 120-year history.
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View From Top of Monument
http://www.history.com/news/history-blog/files/2012/09/Columbus_image_7.jpg
Columbus Circle has been a major NYC transit hub since its inception in 1902, and a number of subway lines and roadways converge at the site. Here’s the view from the apartment looking north up Broadway (left) and Central Park West (right).
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The Ultimate New York “Walk-up”
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While the goal of most New Yorkers is to live in an apartment building with an elevator, nobody seemed to mind walking up—and down—six sets of stairs to visit the exhibition. The walk down is a piece of cake, but the ascent is a bit scarier. My advice: don’t look down.
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