As the broadening financial crisis has many wondering if the American Dream will ever be theirs, an art project opening tomorrow in Madison Square Park offers much to consider in the meantime.

Tree Huts, an installation by Japanese artist Tadashi Kawamata, seeks to explore the architecture of shelter and the idea of placing what is decidedly a private place - a home - into a public space - a New York City park - and encouraging conversation about the meaning of both.

The installation began on September 22 with the arrival of a forklift and a massive scissors lift able to carry the artist, his assistants, and a ton or so of lumber skyward into the tree canopy. Kawamata's team included two assistants who assembled the framework of each of the 12 huts, a rough outline of what would later receive exterior cladding and a roof. Arborists were on hand to see that the tree trunks were carefully wrapped to protect the sensitive bark. Meanwhile, Kawamata created lattice-like platforms in the treetops, each one highly improvisational and finely attuned to each tree's structure and shape.

Installation photos: Peggy Roalf

Today as builders were putting the finishing touches on the last tree hut, the odor of sawdust blended with the strong fragrance of freshly cut grass issuing from a pair of lawnmowers making the park ready for tomorrow's opening. The combination of aromas made the verdant square seem almost like a village green far from the urban hustle.

A man whose young son rode shoulder-wise to snap pictures from a high vantage point wondered if the huts were open to park visitors. On the other side of the fountain, a homeless woman, her belongings stashed in plastic bags, might have been wondering the same thing.

Tree Huts will remain in Madison Square Park through the end of the year. The park is located between Madison and Fifth Avenues, from 23rd to 27th Streets. To learn more about Tadashi Kawamata and the Mad.Square.Art program, please visit the website. The Madison Square Park Conservancey has set up a Tree Huts blog for public commentary and photographs. So far, a visitor from South Africa has contributed pictures of a tree house he built to use as an office separate from his home.