People's Bike Library of Portland, Steel and gold leaf sculpture in downtown Portland, United States
The People's Bike Library is a steel sculpture in downtown Portland that rises about 17 feet with a spiral pillar and gold-plated bicycle on top. The structure includes multiple metal loops around its base that serve as hooks for locking and storing bicycles.
The installation was created in 2009 by Brian Borrello and Rankin Renwick to replace an informal bike-sharing system called the Holy Rack. This project gave the practice of public bike storage a permanent artistic form.
The sculpture grew from Portland's passion for cycling and connects to Zoobomb, where riders gather weekly for informal group rides. It shows how central bicycles are to local life.
The sculpture is located downtown and easy to access for locking up bicycles throughout the day. The metal loops work well in any weather and can accommodate multiple bikes at once.
The structure inspired an annual student design contest where creative bike lane art is conceived and refined. Winning designs are then installed permanently throughout Portland streets.
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