Richard Serra's 5-part invention

Richard Serra's looming, five-part steel sculpture "Wake" is being installed this weekend at the Seattle Art Museum's new Olympic Sculpture Park.

Serra, who once worked in a steel mill, is known for simple forms on a grand scale that interact powerfully with their environment.

The installation began around 7:30 a.m. Saturday, as a crane lifted the first 30-ton steel plate from a truck bed, moved it across the sky and lowered it into the section of the sculpture park called The Valley, where the work — a permanent installation — will stand.

Three units were installed Saturday; two are to be assembled today.

When the sculpture park opens Oct. 28, Seattle will see a transformation: undeveloped waterfront and industrial sites converted to a world-class showcase for outdoor art. The 9-acre park, next to the existing Myrtle Edwards Park, will open with 22 sculptures along a zigzag route that crosses Elliott Avenue then continues to the water.

The park, designed by Weiss/Manfredi Architects, will include a pavilion and cafe, underground parking and an amphitheater.

Works by some of the top names in modern sculpture — including Alexander Calder, Claes Oldenburg, Mark di Suvero and Ellsworth Kelly — will be on view.