Guggenheim & The Puppy

Puppy, by Jeff Koons, has been a permanent installation since 1997. Twice a year, in May and October, all of the plants that make up the sculpture’s exterior are replaced with fresh seasonal varieties, including pansies for the Autumn and Winter, and begonias, impatiens, and petunias for the Spring and Summer. The task requires 20 people, and 9 days to complete, to freshened up Puppy’s coat for the summer with approximately 38,000 new flowers in hues of red and pink.

This exterior hides a clever feat of engineering. Anchored to a concrete base, a colossal stainless steel substructure is covered by a layer of turf, wire mesh, and geotextile fabric that secures the turf and stimulates plant growth. The structure also contains five levels of scaffolding and a network of pipes that water and feed the plants every 24 hours.