Tilted Arc

The Tilted Arc was a colossal, twelve-foot-high wall of raw, rust-covered steel that once sliced directly across this plaza. Commissioned in 1981, it spanned one hundred and twenty feet, forcing everyone walking to the federal buildings nearby to change their path and navigate around its massive, curving frame. While the artist, Richard Serra, intended for this imposing structure to redefine how people experienced their daily environment, many daily commuters saw it only as an ugly, rusted obstruction that blocked their views and their way to work. The resulting conflict between the artist's vision and the public's frustration triggered one of the most famous debates in the history of American public art.