FloatLab at Bartram’s Garden takes visitors to the Schuylkill River

This fall, construction will begin on FloatLab, a 75-foot-tall art installation and environmental center that will float on the Schuylkill and offer prime views of the river.

Representatives from 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 anchoring piles and a new access pier, which will be built by Commerce Construction and is scheduled for completion in summer 2026.

Officials are planning a public celebration to mark the launch of the project on October 20 as part of Mural Arts Month and the annual Bartram’s Garden Harvest Fest.

Artist J. Meejin Yoon and Höweler + Yoon Architecture designed the building to offer visitors 360-degree views of the tidal river, Bartram’s Garden, and the industrial and residential areas of Southwest Philadelphia. A pool in the center will frame the river “like a giant mirror,” the designers said.

“FloatLab will be a revolutionary platform that redefines the way 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 will be a place where people can connect with the water and with each other.”

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

“This installation is not just a work of art, but an important community resource that welcomes people of all ages and backgrounds. This project is the culmination of years of work,” said Roy.

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

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

Yoon, co-founder of Höweler + Yoon Architecture, is widely known for her art, which has been 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 several national and international awards and was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 2021.

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, among others, 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 Philadelphia.

Mural Arts Philadelphia is the largest public art program in the country, with artists creating over 4,000 works in the city’s public spaces.

Open to the public, Bartram’s Garden spans 50 acres along the Schuylkill in Southwest Philadelphia. It attracts 125,000 visitors annually and is home to the Sankofa Community Farm.