The Big Hammock was an interactive public art installation that encouraged chance encounters between strangers as they shared a moment (or longer) relaxing together on Boston’s Rose Kennedy Greenway. The Awesome Foundation, a foundation that awards monthly grants of $1000 for creative ideas in the arts and sciences, gave its first-ever grant to architect Hansy Better in 2010 for her proposal to construct a giant hammock in Downtown Boston.
The Big Hammock was erected in August 2010 from steel tubing with recycled content and woven by local craftspeople from 100% recycled rope. During the time it was installed on the Greenway, The Big Hammock played host to readings, live music performances, and countless locals and tourists alike. The hammock’s rope length is 2,550 feet (warp) and 1,728 feet (weft) for a total of 4,278 feet: more than five times longer than Boston’s Hancock Tower is tall.