In pictures: The Gates sculpture

Thousands of people turned out to see The Gates, the latest sculpture from artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude, which was finally completed in Central Park, New York on Saturday.

Married artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude, renowned for their giant temporary outdoor works, spent more than 25 years planning The Gates.

Volunteers worked all week to help prepare the sculpture, and 300 more will line the route to answer questions from the public.

The sculpture features 7,500 large saffron vinyl panels hanging on 16ft (5m) high frames, closely spaced along the 23 miles (37km) of park walkways.

The vinyl panels were trimmed by Fritz Bieri's Swiss canvas company and designed to change tone as the sun moves, and to wave freely in the breeze.

The cost of the project, including security and cleaning up, is thought to be $21m (£11m), funded by the artists.

Christo, an American from Bulgaria, and Jeanne-Claude, a Parisian born in Casablanca, were both born on June 13, 1935. They met in Paris but live in New York.

Work on the sculpture began on 7 February, and New Yorkers started to enjoy it, despite its incomplete state.

The Gates will stay in the park for 16 days, and more than 20,000 people are expected to visit New York to see it.

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