The Return of the Nivola Horses at Wise Towers

August 13, 2024August 13, 2024 LaToya

When Wise Towers resident Zoraida Bonilla was a child, she and her friends played a game with the much-loved horse statues at the development; the rule was they had to jump from horse to horse without their feet touching the ground.

In 2021, the statues, known as the Nivola Horses, were removed due to their location above a water main line that needed repairs. The horses returned to their home at Wise Towers in early January 2024.

Now in her 60s, Ms. Bonilla, who is also the Wise Towers Resident Association Vice President, is happy to see the iconic and beloved Nivola Horses back at the development – and beautifully restored.

The journey to restore the horses was not without its challenges. Over the years, vandalism and neglect had taken their toll, prompting concerns about their future.

The Nivola Horses are 18 stone sculptures that were created in 1964 by late Italian artist Costantino Nivola and installed in the outdoor plaza at Wise Towers. Though their noses were damaged soon after landing at the development, the horses have long been an integral part of Wise Towers’ cultural fabric, serving as a place of play, meeting point, and neighborhood tourist attraction.

In 2020, Wise Towers converted to NYCHA’s Permanent Affordability Commitment Together (PACT) program and transitioned to management under PACT Renaissance Collaborative (PRC). As part of PACT, Wise Towers received comprehensive upgrades to apartments and common areas, improved building systems such as heating and elevators, and redesign and restoration of outdoor areas to make the development fully functional and safe for all residents.

Included in the upgrades was the full restoration of the Constantino Nivola art, which included the horses, a wall mural, a sculpture wall along 90th Street, and two concrete pyramids that originally operated as a water feature but were non-functional for years.

As part of the PACT renovations, the water line — located beneath the horses — which fed the fire suppression system at the development needed to be repaired. After their removal from the development to repair the water main line, the horses were placed in storage. Then, PRC hired a preservationist to restore the horses.

The restoration process involved collaboration with experts in historic preservation as well as educating residents about the artwork and the artist. PRC arranged for residents to visit the Magazzino Italian Art museum in Cold Spring, New York, to learn more about Constantino Nivola and other Italian artists.

Wise Towers resident Cheryl Russell appreciated learning more about the history of the horses. “I went on one of the trips; PRC took us to a museum and introduced us to [the work of] Nivola and other Italian artists. It was really nice and interesting to learn about. There’s a lot of history here at Wise Towers, and we want to preserve it and keep it. They did a great job restoring the horses.”

The horses were placed back in the plaza in early January. Amy Stokes, Principal of Kalel Companies (which is part of PRC), called their return “a big win for artistic preservation and for Wise Towers residents by giving them back the horses they cared about so much.”

Ernesto Carrera, President of the Wise Towers Resident Association, played a pivotal role in advocating for their preservation. “The horses are part of the legacy of this development,” Mr. Carrera said. “These horses are older than most of the folks here raising their families, and they are very much a part of this place. They’ve brought us together and shown us the importance of preserving our heritage. They symbolize our history and resilience.”

ribbon cutting at a playground — Wise Towers Resident Association President Ernesto Carrera cut the ribbon at a celebration of the playground and upgraded plaza.

ribbon cutting at Nivola Horses — Wise Towers Resident Association President Ernesto Carrera cut the ribbon at a celebration of the playground and upgraded plaza.

Lovely Joseph, who has called Wise Towers home for 22 years, is glad the beloved horses are back, complete with new noses; she loves to stop and spend time with the sculptures. “Sitting on the horses, I feel like a big kid myself,” she said. “They’re not just statues; they’re part of our identity here.”

three women on horse statues — Wise Towers resident Lovely Joseph (middle) with her daughter (left) and neighbor Cheryl Russell (right) on the Nivola horses.

Victor A. González, Vice Chair of the NYCHA Board (and Wise Towers resident since 1972), recalled playing with his daughters on the horses: “I remember I would make all the horse galloping noises while my girls pretended to ride them. The girls enjoyed themselves, and we could get lost for hours playing like that. The improvement they made was a good thing, restoring them to be the beautiful pieces that they are. Now it fits into the neighborhood – they were a bit of an eyesore before. The buildings got that uplift and so did the horses. Residents are happy, and people walking by stop and admire them. So it was a positive and good thing that happened here.”

Along with the horses, the entire plaza was upgraded. The revitalized plaza has a new playground with a water feature, basketball court, and mural; it will continue to serve as a gathering place for Wise Towers residents and as a place for children (and children at heart) to sit, play, or admire the horses.