  alamo, also known as the astor place cube, or simply the cube, is an outdoor sculpture by bernard (tony) rosenthal, located on astor place, in the east village, manhattan, new york city. it takes the form of a black cube,  long on each side, mounted on a corner. the cube is made of cor-ten steel and weighs about . the faces of the cube are not flat but have various indentations, protrusions, and ledges. the sculpture's name, alamo is designated on a small plaque on one corner of the base and was selected by the artist's wife because its scale and mass reminded her of the alamo mission. ==history== installed in 1967 as part of the "sculpture and the environment" organized by the new york city department of cultural affairs, the cube was one of 25 temporary art installations that were intended to remain for a six-month period, however local residents successfully petitioned the city to keep the alamo. it has since become a popular meeting place in the east village. it stands in the middle of an intersection, across the 
1967_sculptures Buildings_and_structures_in_Manhattan Cubic_sculpture East_Village,_Manhattan Outdoor_sculptures_in_New_York_City Steel_sculptures_in_New_York