Rockefeller Center Split-Rocker is the temporary exhibition of Jeff Koons’s flowering topiary in the middle of Rockefeller Plaza during the summer of 2014. Extending RAFT’s research and development for Glenstone Split-Rocker, the installation improves horticultural performance and installation efficiency for this ambitious artwork. 

A green roof and green wall combined, this colossal planted sculpture requires a complex planting scheme, engineered growing medium, and irrigation and drainage systems. These systems work together to mitigate the stresses of unconventional growing conditions such as vertical soil zones, sideways and upside down plants, a temperature-conducting steel frame and increased wind exposure on small plants growing as much as 35 feet above the ground.

This project is a collaboration with Jeff Koons Studio, Public Art Fund, Gagosian Gallery, Tishman Speyer, engineers, contractors, irrigation consultants, Rockefeller Center maintenance crews, and local growers to refine and accelerate the typical installation process in this highly-trafficked location. Photos of Split-Rocker under construction can be found in this Wall Street Journal article.