Sitting atop the Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine (PCAM) building at the University of Pennsylvania is a rooftop garden that few students, faculty, staff, and visitors are aware of its existence. The garden was gifted to the University by the Berman and Goodman Families, two local prominent Philadelphian philanthropists. As a staff member, I occasionally walk through the garden to get from one building to another building, thanks to the ingenuity of the designers who had the foresight to build connecting bridges on top of the buildings so that the space actually gets used. I have rarely, if ever, sat down in the garden for leisure activities, such as eating lunch or just to relax. Today, I came out here to find inspiration for the #WednesdayYellow photography challenge. I found this spherical sculpture on the side of the garden which is my official entry into the contest.
The globe-like sculpture appears to be a representation of the earth, with greyish-blue metal materials intricately connected and linked together to make the whole sphere, creating the image of a delicated cracked shell. The other side of the metal is painted gold, and when lit during the day, resembles the bright, natural yellow color of the sun. It has a natural feeling to the overall structure and shows no sign of rust. The park-like environment, for a moment, creates a sense of tranquility and peacefulness even though we are in the middle of a bustling city.
Images of the rooftop garden for reference:
Photos taken with an iPhone X.