''The Drop'' is a steel

sculpture Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

resembling a

raindrop A drop or droplet is a small column of liquid, bounded completely or almost completely by free surfaces. A drop may form when liquid accumulates at the lower end of a tube or other surface boundary, producing a hanging drop called a pendant d ...

Coal Harbour Coal Harbour is the name for a section of Burrard Inlet lying between Vancouver's Downtown Peninsula and the Brockton Point of Stanley Park. It has also now become the name of the neighbourhood adjacent to its southern shoreline. Neighbourhoo ...

neighborhood of downtown

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

. The tall piece is covered with

Styrofoam Styrofoam is a trademarked brand of closed-cell extruded polystyrene foam (XPS), commonly called "Blue Board", manufactured as foam continuous building insulation board used in walls, roofs, and foundations as thermal insulation and water barrie ...

and blue

polyurethane Polyurethane (; often abbreviated PUR and PU) refers to a class of polymers composed of organic chemistry, organic units joined by carbamate (urethane) links. In contrast to other common polymers such as polyethylene and polystyrene, polyurethan ...

. According to Inges Idee, the sculpture is "an homage to the power of nature" and represents "the relationship and outlook towards the water that surrounds us". ''The Drop'' was commissioned as part of the 2009

Vancouver Convention Centre The Vancouver Convention Centre (formerly known as the Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre, or VCEC) is a convention centre in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; it is one of Canada's largest convention centres. With the opening of the ne ...

Art Project and is owned by BC Pavco.

Description and history

According to the City of Vancouver Public Art Registry, ''The Drop'' is a blue tall sculpture depicting a "large, gentle 'raindrop' captured in its descent at the moment of contact". The central "spine" of the sculpture is composed of

steel Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...

and covered with Styrofoam and blue polyurethane. The piece's color complements the sky and contrasts with the large yellow

sulfur Sulfur (or sulphur in British English) is a chemical element with the symbol S and atomic number 16. It is abundant, multivalent and nonmetallic. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms form cyclic octatomic molecules with a chemical formula ...

piles visible on the opposite shoreline. ''The Drop'' was commissioned as part of the Vancouver Convention Centre Art Project and marked the first North American project for Inges Idee, a group of four German artists. The sculpture was installed in 2009 at Bon Voyage Plaza (adjacent to the Vancouver Convention Centre) at the end of

Burrard Street Burrard Street is a major thoroughfare in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is the central street of Downtown Vancouver and the Financial District. The street is named for Burrard Inlet, located at its northern terminus, which in turn is ...

, along the waterfront in the Coal Harbour neighborhood of downtown Vancouver. The piece was removed temporarily during the

2010 Winter Olympics )'' , nations = 82 , athletes = 2,626 , events = 86 in 7 sports (15 disciplines) , opening = February 12, 2010 , closing = February 28, 2010 , opened_by = Governor General Michaëlle Jean , cauldron = Catriona Le May DoanNancy GreeneWayne Gretz ...

for interrupting the view of the television cameras.

Reception

''The Vancouver Observer'' referred to the sculpture as the "quintessential Vancouver piece". According to the publication, ''The Drop'' has a "playful relationship with the viewer" and serves as a "big inside joke" for Vancouver residents. This refers to the high amount of rain the city receives; Vancouver is Canada's third most rainy large city, after Abbotsford and Halifax, with over 162 rainy days per year.

References

External links

Vancouver Convention Centre Art Project
{{DEFAULTSORT:Drop 2009 establishments in British Columbia 2009 sculptures Coal Harbour Outdoor sculptures in Vancouver Steel sculptures in Canada Tourist attractions in Vancouver Works by German people