What's behind downtown Raleigh's 'Shimmer Wall'
RALEIGH (WTVD) -- Standing tall as a centerpiece to the Raleigh skyline is a sight most can't miss - some 80,000 pieces of aluminum tiles shimmering over the Red Hat Amphitheater.
The Shimmer Wall, finished in 2009, serves as the perfect view for any artist or concert goer to the amphitheater. Previous artists even noting it, adapting the dazzling view into their songs, as the Barenaked Ladies did in 2012.
The art is the work of artist Thomas Sayre. "...who is a nationally renowned artist that we are fortunate enough to have live in Raleigh," said Kerry Painter with the Raleigh Convention Center, which is where the piece sits.
The piece stands 44 feet tall, 210 feet wide, serving as a cover up to what otherwise would be a less than ideal view.
"He created a really great solution to hide a lot of HVAC equipment," Painter said of the artist.
The color of the wall changes depending on the season or happening events. Expect changes starting in 2020.
Painter says that the lights that sit on McDowell street that illuminate the Shimmer Wall will be replaced with new bulbs to make the wall brighter and more vibrant.
