Arcos del Milenio, Steel sculpture in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Arcos del Milenio is a steel sculpture in Guadalajara consisting of four yellow-painted arches that increase in size as they rise. The structure occupies a substantial area and can be seen from many points throughout the city.
Approved by the Guadalajara city council in July 1999 under municipal president Francisco Javier Ramírez Acuña, the sculpture was intended to improve the image of a busy traffic junction and mark the new millennium. The first three arches were installed between 2000 and 2001, and the fourth in 2005. A patronage fund created in 2000 sought private financing, as the project stalled over funding.
The work was commissioned to mark the start of the third millennium and to improve the image of one of Guadalajara's busiest junctions. Critics cited it as a response to the city's lack of major urban art projects since the 1960s, following earlier works such as La Torre de los Cubos and the Pájaro Amarillo on the city's western side. The arches are commonly graffitied.
The sculpture stands at the junction of Avenida Lázaro Cárdenas and Avenida Mariano Otero, in the Jardines del Bosque neighbourhood on the city's western side. It is a roadside landmark rather than a site with an entrance, so it is seen from the surrounding streets and traffic islands. The arches are commonly graffitied, so the painted surfaces may not look uniform up close.
The original design called for six arches but financial constraints meant only four were ultimately completed. A miniature replica of the full intended design can be seen in the nearby town of Tapalpa.
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