“Returning Home” by Louis Chinn and Huangmeng Yu (MissTANGQ) has been selected as the public art project for 501 Rainier Supportive Housing. Their kinetic, wind-powered sculpture impressed the selection committee, who felt it would be a welcoming work that incorporates the neighborhood’s cultures.

The work is composed of 32 aluminum origami cranes attached to a steel tube which rotates as wind catches the cranes’ wings. The birds are spaced out in a double helix shape, creating the impression that they are taking off and landing in a continuous loop as the piece spins. A woven wire nest at the base of the sculpture doubles as a bench, allowing viewers another way to experience the work. At night, LED lights shine through the base to illuminate the piece, creating a lantern effect.

Chinn and Yu selected cranes for their special significance in many East Asian cultures. For example, in Chinese mythology, cranes are connected to immortality, and then there’s the Japanese legend that folding a thousand paper cranes grants you a wish.

In their proposal, Chinn and Yu also point out that cranes have a nearly global presence. Many crane species migrate thousands of miles each year. Because of that long and arduous journey, Chinn and Yu see the crane as “the perfect symbol of the extraordinary resilience of one’s spirit to rise above adversity.” Chinn and Yu hope that this sentiment resonates with Plymouth’s mission and the experiences of 501 Rainier’s future residents.

Chinn and Yu both grew up, in part, in the International District. Their family histories are also closely entwined with the history of the International District. Yu immigrated to Seattle at age four to reunite with her parents for the first time since their escape from China at the start of the post-Mao era. Chinn’s great grandfather migrated to Seattle from Toisan, China, and his family would go on to open some of the first immigrant-owned businesses in the city. According to their proposal, Chinn and Yu are thankful that they can help “preserve cultural legacy, advance community resiliency, and reconnect with nature” in the International District with “Returning Home.”