Firefly at SFPUC

Firefly, a thirteen-story sculpture by MacArthur "genius" and Exploratorium museum veteran Ned Kahn, has just been installed on the exterior of the new $200-million-plus San Francisco Public Utilities Commission headquarters on the corner of Polk Street and Golden Gate Avenue.



The building is in a wild wind tunnel, mostly caused by the neighboring Federal Building, so the moving sculpture's location couldn't be more appropriate. As some SF Art Commission signage explains, "The hinged polycarbonate panels swing with the unseen patterns of the wind. Each panel has a small embedded magnet that connects with an electrical reed switch. By day, the work appears like rippling waves of glass. By night, the back and forth swinging of the panels triggers the flickering of tiny LED lights.



It's a remarkable addition to the neighborhood.