A striking new 60-foot-tall sculpture called 'River Soundings' now lights up the Delaware River waterfront in Northern Liberties, creating a glowing beacon visible from Spring Garden Street. The installation was completed last week at the Rivermark apartment complex after more than two years of planning, transforming the former Festival Pier site on Christopher Columbus Boulevard into an activated public space with panoramic views of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge.
Designed by Seattle-based public art studio Haddad & Drugan, the sculpture was commissioned through Philadelphia's Percent for Art program, which requires developers using city land or funds to allocate one percent of their budget to site-specific public art. The cylindrical sculpture features a series of streaming, reflective 'lead lines' that pay homage to the historical depth-finding devices sailors used before electronic sensors existed.
'We wanted to do something that created a beacon from Spring Garden and also have it be inspired by the river,' explained Laura Haddad, who co-owns the design firm. 'I grew up sailing and I've always loved nautical charts, so I started looking into those and learning about the tidal change. That kind of led into our concept of representing the depth of the river.'
The artistic concept draws directly from maritime navigation history, with the Delaware River ranging from 23 to 48 feet deep in Philadelphia and experiencing tidal changes of 6 to 10 feet. Early sailors would drop weighted lines into the water to chart safe passage, and the sculpture's cables feature weights at the bottom that represent the actual water depth adjacent to the artwork.
During daylight hours, thousands of blue discs strung onto the sculpture catch sunlight and drift with the wind, creating dynamic movement and shimmer. The sculpture's base features detailed etchings including a map of the river's depths and various navigational instruments. A viewing ring positioned in front allows visitors to peer into the sculpture's spiraling center, which is based on Fibonacci curves found in nature.
As evening approaches, the sculpture's LED lighting system activates, illuminating the night sky with the Delaware River and Benjamin Franklin Bridge providing a dramatic backdrop. The lights are programmed to shift into a dimmer mode at 11 p.m. to be considerate of nearby residents. The lighting system also includes special programming for holidays and major sporting events, with the capability to display team colors during events like the Super Bowl.
'We wanted to design a sculpture to 'mark' the river, but using materials that represent both the weights used in early lead lines and the shimmery reflective quality of light on the surface of the water,' Haddad noted. The design team conducted extensive research at local libraries, studying the river's depth patterns and navigation history while drawing inspiration from lighthouses and signal markers to ensure the sculpture would function as both art and wayfinding beacon.
Haddad & Drugan, which has completed dozens of projects across 25 cities, specializes in public art that beautifies transitional spaces. Their notable works include a beloved 20-foot-tall dog sculpture made from dog tags outside the Denver Animal Shelter and a colorful illuminated mural on a grain elevator wall at San Francisco's Port Pier 92.
The Rivermark development, which opened to residential tenants last year, represents part of a decades-long effort to revitalize the Delaware River waterfront through new trails and public spaces. The complex now houses 470 units and is leasing ground-floor commercial spaces, including a Sprouts Farmers Market that opened in spring and Lucky Duck tavern, targeted at millennials, scheduled to open early next year.
This waterfront activation connects to broader city planning initiatives, including the ambitious 11.5-acre Penn's Landing park project that will cap Interstate 95 by the end of the decade. The sculpture's location at the former Festival Pier site now features a small park and walking trail that complement the artistic installation.
For Haddad, the River Soundings project carries deep personal significance beyond its artistic achievement. Her brother Michael, who lived in the Philadelphia area, passed away during the sculpture's construction phase. 'His memory, the bonds that this experience caused us to form with the project team, and the city's notion of brotherly love, will always be embedded in our emotional resonance with this artwork and place,' she reflected.
The sculpture stands as both a functional landmark and artistic tribute to Philadelphia's maritime heritage, offering residents and visitors a new way to experience the Delaware River waterfront while honoring the navigational traditions that helped shape the city's development along this vital waterway.
