New artistic structure to be built on Schuylkill River near Bartram's Garden

Tuesday, August 20, 2024
New artistic structure to be built on Schuylkill River near Bartram's Garden
New artistic structure to be built on Schuylkill River near Bartram's Garden

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A unique new feature is coming to the Schuylkill River in South Philadelphia.

Mural Arts Philadelphia and Bartram's Garden are teaming up to construct what they're calling a FloatLab.

The 75-foot-wide floating structure will be a permanent river access point and a work of art on the Schuylkill at Bartram's Garden.

The FloatLab was designed by the architectural firm Howeler and Yoon in Boston, Massachusetts.

As the firm describes it, the intentional design will allow visitors to take in both the residential and industrial landscape of Southwest Philadelphia.

It is also a classroom, a stage, a gallery, a fishing spot, and a kayak launch.

Construction is set to begin during the fall with a grand opening set for the summer of 2026.