On Tuesday, workers removed the Astor Place cube so it could be renovated according to Bedford and Bowery. The spinnable, iconic steel sculpture with a Texas-sounding name was designed by artist Tony Rosenthal and is by no means a one-off piece of artwork. The NYC version was first installed at its East Village location in 1967 and was only supposed to be displayed temporarily as part of a public art project, but local residents liked it so much, they petitioned to have it become a permanent fixture. In October, it was boxed up and today, shipped off. “We’re taking it to be rehabilitated,” said Amelia Ramos, a liaison for the NYC Department of Design and Construction. Ramos said The cube will “hopefully” be returned sometime next year.
