Celebrate Soleri Bridge and Plaza 10-Year Anniversary and Winter Solstice with Yoga

This month marks the 10-year anniversary of the dedication of Soleri Bridge and Plaza by Paolo Soleri. To commemorate this occasion, the city of Scottsdale is holding a socially distanced yoga class December 21, 2020, on Soleri Plaza at the pinnacle of the Winter Solstice with a special talk from Wendy Raisanen, curator of collections and exhibitions for Scottsdale Public Art.

Soleri Bridge is anchored by two 64-foot pylons that are situated at a true north axis. The six-inch gap between the pylons allows the sun to create a shaft of light as the earth moves, marking solar events with the sun’s shadow. The length of this shaft of light varies depending upon the time of year. At each summer solstice (June 21), when the sun is highest in the sky, no shadow is cast.  While at each winter solstice (December 21), when the sun is lowest in the sky, the shadow is the longest, reaching to the bridge structure.

This year you can sign up at Scottsdazzle.com to celebrate both the 10-year anniversary and the Winter Solstice with a serene session of sun salutation yoga on Monday, December 21, from 11 a.m. to noon, hosted by The Foundry. After the yoga session is finished, Wendy will give a brief talk about Soleri Bridge and Plaza. Then, right at 12:19 p.m., mountain standard time, you can watch as the pylon shadows align perfectly with the red stripe that runs across the bridge and observe the longest possible shadow of the year cast by the sun shining at the lowest point in the sky.

After this, if you still want to know more, you can download the Hoverlay app on your data-enabled device/phone to view an immersive augmented reality experience created by Scottsdale Public Art and Cosanti Foundation that tells you all about the creation of Soleri Bridge and Plaza.

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