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Nearby 40.023810,-75.222675

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River of Life
Masayuki Nagase, 2014
* big and small water, rocks, furniture, birds, fish, insects, plants, turtle
* inscription:
plaque: Hand carved granite benches, sculptural boulders, and engraved tile pavers and medallions depicting images of local flora, fauna, and water patterns. An original artwork commissioned by The City of Philadelphia Percent for Art Program and The Philadelphia Water Department
rock: Venice Island is the legacy of 19th century urbanization. In 1819 a three mile sliver of schist was sliced away from Manayunk by a narrow canal that supplied the textile mills on the Island. Today, this site location led the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) to install a subsurface Combined Sewer Overflow Tank. This tank holds nearly 1 million gallons of a mixture of sewage and storm water during rain events, preventing untreated wastewater from flowing into the Schuylkill River.
To enable the use of the island for this essential river protection project, PWD committed to a full scale reconstruction of the Venice Island's recreation facilities. PWD worked with its sister city agencies and the neighborhood in the master planning process. This site uses the best in sustainable storm water management, ecological design and restoration to provide a much needed public place in the heart of Manayunk that addresses multiple needs - recreation, environmental protection, commerce and open space.
The revitalized space reflects the Island's industrial heritage, local building techniques and the vibrant natural history along the Schuylkill River, all the while meeting the rigorous challenges of creating a safe city park in the floodway. This park resides at the intersection of nature and city, striving to bring both closer.
* Multi-level plaza. Venice Island. Across the canal off Main and Cotton.
* 40.023810,-75.222675 [map] [nearby]
* On the Manayunk tour
* See also:
+mnagase.com
+veniceisland.org