Each virtual tile donation is a real act of support. Together, we are building a spectacular installation of public art that will transform the New York Aquarium and Coney Island skyline. The real shimmer wall will contain more than 30,000 individual metal panels, wrapping the exterior of the new Ocean Wonders: Sharks! building. Each panel will move freely as part of an ever-changing surface that is fluid and glittering. The shimmer wall will reflect its natural coastal surroundings of wind, water, and light. Its thousands of moving panels will evoke the waves of the ocean’s surface—and even schools of fish. This installation, spanning 1,100 feet, will become a beacon to the millions of annual visitors to the Coney Island boardwalk, and will showcase the action and energy of the new New York Aquarium.

The shimmer wall was imagined by the WCS design team, in collaboration with the noted environmental artist and sculptor, Ned Kahn. Kahn’s innovative body of work reflects his aesthetic of turbulence. His work seeks to capture an invisible aspect of nature and make it visible. This will be the first major installation of Kahn’s work in New York. He has completed over 50 public art installations around the world, and is the recipient of numerous design awards, as well as a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship.