Hadany Arch

If you drive east from Williamsport down Route 180 and head towards the former Lycoming Mall, soon to be known as the District at Lyncoming Valley, you’ll find yourself driving under one of the area’s most fascinating structures.

This is the Hadany Arch, roughly 100 feet tall and stretching over the road. The arch is “twisted,” meaning that its edges don’t align with each other, which creates a beautiful visual effect: From different angles of approach, it looks like an arch, or a figure eight, or a wishbone, or a wavy line. The arch was built by Israeli sculptor Israel Hadany and finished in November 1978, a few months after the Lycoming Mall first opened its doors, quickly becoming a creative touchstone in the area. 

The arch was commissioned by local art collector Philip Bergman, who had also been an executive at Hess department stores. He originally wanted to place the arch over the nearby highway, but the Pennsylvania Department of Highways refused to approve his plan. So he settled for the road that led to the then-developing shopping mall.

Hadany used mathematical principles to develop the arch’s twisting shape, but spent a year thinking it over before he made a small 3-foot-tall model. Bergman saw the model on a trip to Israel, and began dreaming of a supersized version that he might build near his home. 

The final arch took 21 months to build. When first erected its steel was a light, rusty brown, but after about 18 months of exposure to the elements, it took on the dark brown patina that visitors see today. This shift was intentional: The arch is made of Corten steel, which is designed for outdoor use. Over time, it develops a thick coating that both changes its color and protects it from corrosion so hopefully visitors can enjoy it for many decades to come.