Six months after artist Janet Echelman’s “floating sculpture” at the St. Pete Pier was taken down by the City for “assessment and repair,” it remains locked away and out of public view.
Hurricanes Debbie, Helene and Milton caused significant damage to the 424-foot “Bending Arc,” which had been installed in 2020. Rising 76 feet off the ground on steel pylons, the artwork was paid for with $1.5 million in private donations.
In December, while the billowing blue-and-white net-like piece was still hanging, and sagging in places, the City of St. Petersburg commissioned Stantec Engineering to examine it using crane-mounted cameras.
Released to the City in December, 2024 but never published, the Stantec report concluded that the hanging net was improperly attached with short “cross seizing ties” to the “cover net,” a series of double braided tensioned ropes. Going back to the blueprints, Stantec engineers also discovered the use of a substandard variety of enforced rope (not as directed) to “lash” the layers together.
The City hired Net House of Cocoa, Florida to install and attach “Bending Arc” in 2020. Net House VP Jason Koch said his company was hired to re-attach the piece after problems with the installation, done by another company, were discovered. Net House workers took it down and put it up again. “And we used only the materials they gave us.”
In its 2024 report, Stantec also discovered fraying in the braided cover net, and corrosion on structural steel joints and connections.
According to the Stantec report, there was no failure of any kind of the net sculpture itself, which was engineered by Arup and fabricated by Studio Echelman of Massachusetts.
“My art studio continues to stand ready to offer support to the City in bringing the art back to the Pier for the public’s full enjoyment as soon as possible,” Echelman told the Catalyst. “I commend the City’s due diligence in hiring the nationally respected firm Stantec to review.
“Stantec’s report concluded that the problem resulted from the connections between my net sculpture and the structural ropes, which were lashings tied by the City’s insured contractor, who used substandard materials and methods.”
She continued: “My studio’s role was to create the aesthetic design for the art, and the City’s engineer was responsible to specify materials and methods in stamped construction documents. Then my studio’s job was to accurately follow the engineer’s construction drawings, which were engineered to withstand Category 5 hurricanes.”
Between 2020 and 2024, the City paid the Net House to conduct periodic inspections of the work. “We were just there to help the City wherever they needed some help,” Koch said.
In February of this year, the St. Petersburg City Council approved $33,000 for “removal and repair.” Net House workers took it down Feb. 10; according to Koch, his company was not contracted to repair Bending Arc, and that the Net House is not currently in possession of the work. “The last time I saw it, it was in a container.”
In a City email dated Aug. 6, Development Administrator James Corbett told Echelman “the City has continued to actively work on the “Bending Arc” assessment,” and that “deliberate steps” were being taken “to determine the safest and most sustainable path toward reinstallation.”
Corbett then outlined the City’s plan:
“Engineering Analysis: After Stantec was unable to take on the next phase of evaluation, we engaged Wiss, Janney, and Elstner (WJE) – a highly respected forensic engineering and materials science firm. Their proposal was finalized in June, and we are now seeking your approval to proceed with their testing methodology.
“Testing Plan: WJE will conduct laboratory testing on samples from the net, including the hanging twine, to evaluate the current capacity and environmental durability of the materials.
“Sample Request: To move forward, we are requesting your permission to extract small sections of the net in up to three locations for detailed analysis.
“Timeline Consideration: Given that we are in hurricane season, our target is to complete this evaluation phase now and aim for reinstallation efforts after the season ends in November.”
Citing the Stantec report, Echelman questioned the additional cost and delay of the City’s continued testing.
Calls to the City of St. Petersburg for clarification and comment were not returned.
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