The vanishing of an 1866 Croton Aqueduct manhole cover recalls the fleetingness of historic infrastructure heritage on New York City’s streets.
Infrastructure
Posted inHistory
When Thirsty 19th-Century New Yorkers Built a Seemingly Impossible Aqueduct
The Museum of the City of New York is exhibiting the art and engineering of the Croton Aqueduct on the 175th anniversary of the watershed.
Posted inArt
A Documentary Series Breaks Down the Infrastructure of Cloud Computing
When viewing promotional videos of data centers from corporations like Google and Microsoft, artist Matt Parker always felt something was missing: the sound of this internet infrastructure.
Posted inArt
The Artificial Caverns that House America’s Underground Business Parks
Hollowed Earth: The World of Underground Business Parks at the Center for Land Use Interpretation descends into the strange world of America’s commercial caverns.
Posted inArt
The Well-Trodden Art of the Manhole Cover in New York City
A manhole cover is generally deemed successful if its round shape keeps pedestrians from plummeting into the earth, and communicates the subterranean systems below through its design.
Posted inBooks
Rethinking Life Beneath Our Cities’ Concrete Overpasses
With the rapid development of transportation infrastructure in the 20th century, much of our urban land was shrouded in shadow.
Posted inArt
NYC’s Oldest Surviving Bridge Reopens After Four Decades of Decay
On June 9, New York City’s oldest surviving bridge reopened after over 40 years of abandonment.
Posted inArt
Bringing New York City’s Underpasses Out of the Shadows and into Public Space
Over 700 miles of underdeveloped space are in the shadows of New York City’s elevated highways and rails.
Posted inArt
A Field Guide to the Invisible Internet Infrastructure of NYC
The internet can seem ubiquitous and invisible at once, but it relies on an elaborate infrastructure that’s sometimes buried just below our feet.
Posted inArt
Revisiting a Midcentury Map Marvel of NYC’s Water System
For infrastructure started in the 19th century, the New York City water system is remarkably equipped to support the metropolis of the 21st century.
Posted inArt
Percent for Art Programs Struggling Nationwide
If you’ve ever admired a beautiful mosaic or mural in New York City, there’s a chance you have the Percent for Art Program (PCA) to thank.