Illuminating the Hunters Point Shipyard Gantry Crane 2026
por SHIPYARD TRUST FOR THE ARTS
Shipyard Trust for the Arts (STAR) is creating a large scale public art experience centered on the historic Hunters Point Shipyard crane, one of the most recognizable structures on San Francisco’s southeastern waterfront.
One of the world’s largest historic gantry cranes is about to become a monumental canvas for projection mapping, architectural lighting and public art.
Completed in 1947, the Hunters Point Shipyard Crane has a 650 ton lifting capacity, a 730 foot span, and a roadbed nearly 200 feet above the ground, comparable to the height of the Golden Gate Bridge roadway. Once used to repair naval vessels and missile tests, it now stands as one of San Francisco’s most recognizable engineering landmarks.
In October 2026, Shipyard Trust for the Arts (STAR) will transform this monumental structure through projection mapping, architectural lighting, an immersive soundscape and live performance. The soundscape blends community voices, live musicians and original historic sounds recorded at the Shipyard, allowing visitors to experience its industrial and cultural history in a completely new way.
The project brings together engineering, digital technology and public art to create an immersive experience unlike anything previously presented as the culminating event of the San Francisco Arts Commission’s Shaping Legacy project. Local and international artists will collaborate with Bayview Hunters Point residents to celebrate the history, innovation and cultural significance of this extraordinary place.
The project has already received support from the Kenneth Rainin Foundation, the San Francisco Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts. We’re now seeking to close the remaining $100,000 funding gap to bring this extraordinary public art experience to life.
Contributions will help support the artists, performers, production crew, equipment, transportation, safety and other costs required to produce this ambitious community arts project.
STAR has supported artists at the Hunters Point Shipyard and connected art with the surrounding Bayview Hunters Point community for decades. Your support helps make this extraordinary piece of San Francisco history accessible through art.
To learn more about the project, including photographs, videos and the history of the crane, visit:
