Main Street Ballroom sits in the lobby of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Headquarters in Rochester, New York. The ball machine welcomes visitors into the space with its charming sound-producing and dynamic devices.

 

Made up of two distinct sections, upper and lower, Main Street Ballroom contains a wide range of classic devices, such as pendulum switches, hanging rod chimes, a woodblock series, and bounce & catch baskets. The lower section contains all of the track. Each of the three tracks within this ball machine sculpture contains 3-5 devices that interact with the rubber lacrosse balls. The upper section contains three motorized rocking wands that work independently to provide a more visual experience to passersby. The blue color scheme corresponds with the Blue Cross Blue Sheild colors and the cool-toned lobby, while the complementary yellow elements provide a visual contrast within the space, calling attention the ball machine sculpture as its own entity.

 

This ball machine was designed by George Rhoads in collaboration with Rock Stream Studios.

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Date:

1998

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Location:

Blue Cross Blue Shield Headquarters, Rochester, NY

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Dimensions:

18’ x 5’ x 5’ 

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Artist:

George Rhoads