Alamo (sculpture)

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Alamo (The Cube) is an outdoor sculpture by Bernard (Tony) Rosenthal, located on Astor Place, on the island of Manhattan in New York City. It takes the form of a black cube, 8 feet long on each side, mounted on a corner. The faces of the cube are not flat but have various indentations, protrusions, and ledges. It is not widely known as Alamo, the name given on a small plaque on one corner of the base. Generally it is simply called The Cube.

Installed in 1967, it has since become a popular meeting place in the East Village. It stands in the middle of an intersection, across the street from both entrances to the Astor Place station of the New York Subway and the Cooper Union.

The Cube's distinguishing feature is that it can be spun on its vertical axis. One person can usually push it slowly with some exertion, and two or more people without trouble. Many people who move to New York consider turning The Cube to be a ritual signaling that they have "arrived" in the city. Sitting or sleeping in the shade of The Cube is also popular.

The Cube was once turned into a Rubik's Cube as a prank. (See External links).

On March 10, 2005, the parks department removed The Cube for repairs. The original artist and crew fixed the missing bolt and made a few other minor repairs. As of November 2005 The Cube returned with a fresh coat of black paint, still able to spin as it always did. The cube weighs about 1100 kg (about 2500 lb).

The identical Rosenthal Cube (though officially titled Endover) stands on the campus of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan between the Michigan Union and the LSA Building. The cube was donated by the class of 1965 and was installed in 1968. The cube also rotates but its pivot is sunken into the ground as opposed to Alamo's which is on a separate platform.