A first-of-its-kind floating public space is making its way to Philadelphia’s Schuylkill River.
FloatLab, a bright yellow, 75-foot-wide floating platform, is expected to arrive on the Tidal Schuylkill River near the Platt Bridge around 8 a.m. Wednesday, June 10, before being transported by tugboat to its installation site at Bartram’s Garden.
The project has been 10 years in the making and traveled from North Carolina by barge and tugboat after beginning its journey on May 21.
Designed by artist J. Meejin Yoon and Höweler + Yoon Architecture in partnership with Bartram’s Garden and Mural Arts Philadelphia, FloatLab is described as the first tide-responsive public space in the United States.
Beginning this fall, visitors to Bartram’s Garden and the Bartram’s Mile section of the Schuylkill River Trail will be able to experience the river from a unique water-level perspective.
An innovative ballast system allows the circular platform to rise and fall with the rhythm of the river. Visitors will have a unique chance to “reconnect with a previously inaccessible stretch of the river.”
FloatLab is designed as a gathering space for a variety of activities, including hands-on workshops, outdoor art programs, kayaking, fishing and other riverfront experiences.
Organizers said that once open, FloatLab will be free to the public. Additional details about grand opening events, public programming for all ages and interests will be available soon.
For more information visit bartramsgarden.org/floatlab.