San Francisco's famous skyline just got a new addition. The 20-meter-tall conical needle “Point of Infinity: Surface of Revolution with Constant Negative Curvature” by Japanese architect and photographer Hiroshi Sugimoto sits atop an ancient water tank on the nearby island of Yerba Buena and will be visible to all eyes on the surrounding bay area.
The giant stainless steel sculpture cost $2 million and was installed last month as part of the island's new Infinity Point park, which will officially open to the public later this year. It is Sugimoto's first major job in the United States, where he has lived and worked since 1970. He was selected from more than 495 other candidates who responded to an open competition in 2017.
“The concept of infinity is a human invention,” Sugimoto said of this playful illusion. “It’s a paradox. However, we pursue it. It is a symbol of humanity’s quest for knowledge and innovation.”
This effect was achieved thanks to a complex mathematical formula. “A hyperbolic curve that suggests both infinity and eternity: two converging curved lines, getting closer and closer, but never meeting, explained Sugimoto in a press release.