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The Reading Nest by Mark Reigelman

Using 10,000 reclaimed boards, New York-based artist Mark Reigelman designed a site specific installation outside of the Cleveland Public Library. The Reading Nest was a massive undertaking that was inspired by age-old objects that are often associated with knowledge and wisdom. The nest-like structure sits 35 feet wide and 12 feet high and allows visitors to interact with it and enjoy it while it’s there.

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Trees are often associated with enlightenment and owls are known for being scholarly within the history of mythological objects. Then there’s the nest, which symbolizes growth and community. It seems only perfect to create a nest out of discarded wood, right?

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A basic wooden structure was made out of 2x4s and reinforced with 200 feet of steel cable. On top of that, 10,000 pieces of pallet board were added and held in place by approximately 40,000 nails. The installation took a team of five men 10 full days to complete.

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4,000 of the boards were left raw and weathered and 6,000 were painted with gold exterior paint. The outside of the nest combines them both while the interior is covered in the golden boards.

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The building of:

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Photos by Mark Reigelman and Bob Perkoski.

Caroline Williamson is Editor-in-Chief of Design Milk. She has a BFA in photography from SCAD and can usually be found searching for vintage wares, doing New York Times crossword puzzles in pen, or reworking playlists on Spotify.