Construction begins soon on $6M ‘FloatLab,’ a giant circular artwork on the Schuylkill at Bartram’s Garden

Construction will begin this fall on FloatLab, a 75-foot art installation and environmental center set to float on the Schuylkill that will offer prime views of the river.

Officials with Mural Arts Philadelphia and Bartram’s Garden announced this week that the central circular structure will be built in North Carolina by East Coast Steel Fabrication. In the fall, Urban Engineers will oversee the installation of mooring piles and a new access pier to be built by Commerce Construction, with projected completion in summer 2026.

Officials plan a public celebration of the start of the project on Oct. 20 as part of Mural Arts Month and the annual Bartram’s Garden Harvest Fest. The projected cost of the project is $6 million, and is being funded through public and private grants, though organizers are still raising money.

Artist J. Meejin Yoon and Höweler + Yoon Architecture designed the structure to give visitors a 360-degree view of the tidal river, Bartram’s Garden, as well as industrial and residential parts of Southwest Philadelphia. A pool at the center will frame “the river like a giant looking glass,” according to officials.

“FloatLab will be a revolutionary platform that redefines how our community interacts with the Schuylkill,” said Jane Golden, executive director of the Mural Arts program. “But it’s more than just a piece of art; it’s going to be a space where people can connect with the water and each other.”

Maitreyi Roy, executive director of Bartram’s Garden, calls it “participatory public art.”

“This installation is not just an art piece but a vital community resource where people of all ages and backgrounds are welcome. This project is the result of many years in the making,” Roy said.

FloatLab will include a classroom, stage, gallery, fishing spot, and kayak launch.

“FloatLab is a convergence of art, architecture, and nature,” Yoon said. “This project is about creating moments of wonder and connection where the everyday experience of the river becomes extraordinary.”

Yoon, cofounder of Höweler + Yoon Architecture, is widely renowned with her art exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art, and the National Art Center in Japan. She has received multiple national and international awards and in 2021 was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

FloatLab will be open to the public and offer free and low-cost programs, from fishing and boating to art workshops. Officials say it will provide a venue for educational performances, exhibitions, and community engagement.

The project is supported by significant funding from the Pennsylvania Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program, the William Penn Foundation, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and the city of Philadelphia, among others.

Mural Arts Philadelphia is the nation’s largest public art program, using artists to create more than 4,000 works in public spaces in the city.

Bartram’s Garden, open to the public, is set on 50 acres along the Schuylkill in Southwest Philadelphia. It draws 125,000 visitors annually and contains the Sankofa Community Farm.