Joe Louis Arena will live on in new sculpture at Riverside Park

The demolished Joe Louis Arena has been revived. Well, at least pieces of it.

Steel from the long-gone sports arena has been infused into a new sculpture at Riverside Park. Named the "Path of Life," the sculpture consists of I-beams zig-zagging upwards toward a stainless steel cube that is inspired by a topographical map of the city.

“Erik and Israel have created a piece that truly speaks to the struggles and successes of Detroiters,” Mayor Mike Duggan said in a release. “We thank them for their work and the Adamo Family for this generous donation which brings yet another piece of beautiful art for Detroiters and visitors to enjoy for generations to come.”

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The sculpture, designed by brothers Israel and Erik Nordin, marks the entrance of the revamped Riverside Park and the beginning of the Joe Louis Greenway, standing along the Grand Boulevard promenade. The "Path of Life" captures the "memory of the arena, and (is) meant to echo the current renaissance of Detroit," the release states.

The sculpture was commissioned by Adamo Group, the same company that conducted the demolition of the arena.

After serving as the home of the Detroit Red Wings for 38 seasons, the Joe Louis Arena closed its doors to spectators in the summer of 2017. Demolition began in spring 2019 and involved two giant cranes with the names and jersey numbers of retired Detroit Red Wings greats Gordie Howe and Steve Yzerman.

The renovation of Riverside Park, located west of the Ambassador Bridge, has been in the works since 2015, transforming the 29-acre park on Detroit's southwest riverfront in construction phases. The latest phase was completed in 2020.

mmarini@freepress.com

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Joe Louis Arena will live on in new sculpture