Mural at The Max

The Mural at the Max is a 28,000 square foot mural for a new luxury apartment building located on West 57th Street in New York City. The developer TFCornerstone faced a particular challenge; about 100 of their 1000 residential units would directly face the back of the Department of Sanitation garbage truck depot, a 120′ tall unfinished concrete windowless wall, an unappealing view.

The mural is 129’ tall x 250’ wide. Approx. 1,800 pounds of paint were used. It took 6 painters 5 weeks, working 12 hour days, 7-days a week to paint the mural. The mural is the equivalent of a 11-story New York building, and roughly one third of a New York City block in length.

The Department of Sanitation requested to have the word “Sanitation” added onto one of the buildings in the mural. A garbage truck was also integrated into the artwork.

With so many residents viewing the wall from their homes or from the expansive garden courtyard and terrace, a painted mural was suggested as an artistic amenity. The design features a futuristic rendering of a three dimensional cloud-scape above New York City and morphing winged creatures.

Poetry

Hidden Easter eggs of poetry are interspersed throughout the cyber clouds which overlook the skyscrapers and skyline below. Karlssonwilker worked with The Poetry Society of New York to identify local poets from various New York City neighborhoods. Ten poets were commissioned to write 25-40 word poems that celebrate the New York city neighborhood, paying particular attention to its history and architecture. Six poems from the public domain were also selected to be included in the mural. Each apartment with a view of the mural will receive its own pair of binoculars and there will also be a permanent telescope installed in the courtyard to aid in this discovery.

Time-lapse courtesy of TF Cornerstone