Currently the tallest skyscraper in Tribeca is 56 Leonard Street, designed by Herzog & de Meuron. Its cantilevered balconies have created a distinctive and new architectural icon for Lower Manhattan. With the building complete, residents get to enjoy uninterrupted views of the Financial District to the south and the Midtown skyline to the north. But while most eyes are looking up at the Jenga-esque structure, something just as exciting was recently spotted down at street level.

Orange-colored arrows spray painted on the sidewalk along with a continuous curvilinear outline have showed up in front of the skyscraper, next to the main lobby of the development. This can only mean one thing, the Anish Kapoor metallic bean-shaped sculpture will (finally) arrive and on-site installation will hopefully begin sometime soon.

Recent photos show the dashed outline of the art installation’s future home.

The outline is the only part of the sculpture that will make physical contact with the sidewalk. The shape of the art piece will bulge outwards in all directions and span an even larger amount of space in the air. The two large concrete columns seen in the last photo will eventually be hidden within the installation itself. It’s definitely possible they could act as two large anchoring supports for the structural framing of the reflective bean. This will be Anish Kapoor’s first permanent art installation in New York City. One of his works, a whirlpool called “Descension” was temporarily set up in Brooklyn Bridge Park two years ago.

As for an exact start and completion date for this future Tribeca icon, no announcements have been formally made yet.

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