BOSTON, MA – With the help of Shawmut Design and Construction, internationally-acclaimed local artist Janet Echelman has brought her living, breathing sculpture to the Rose Kennedy Greenway soaring 365 feet above the street and pedestrian park. The breathtaking piece has already captured the attention of Bostonians and people around the world.

Shawmut was chosen to oversee pre-construction, installation and de-installation of the one-ton masterpiece because of their reputation for successfully handling complex and logistically challenging projects. And with over 100 miles of interconnected mesh and twine, 542,500 knots, and spanning over a 20,250 feet of space, it’s safe to say that this qualifies as challenging.

The suspension of the sculpture was just as complex as the artwork itself. Requiring an overnight installation and temporary shutdown of two major roads in the heart of Boston, Shawmut attached the piece to three surrounding skyscrapers using hand-spliced rope and fibers that are 15 times stronger than steel.

Shawmut didn’t do it alone, though. They worked closely with Arup, a local engineering designer, who integrated the lighting component seamlessly within the fabrication process. And Echelman enlisted Autodesk to construct custom software that simulates the effects of gravity, wind, and weather could have on her sculpture

Shawmut was proud to partner with Janet Echelman who recently received the 2014 Smithsonian American Ingenuity Award in Visual Arts and was ranked #1 on Oprah Magazine’s “List of 50 Things that Make You Say Wow!” In partnership with the Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy, the team has continued the ongoing tradition of bringing innovative public art to the 17-acre space.