As its name suggests, Rosenthal's "Five in One" contains five interlocking circles that represent the five Boroughs: Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. Although the artist intended for the work to be painted bright red, a lack of funds caused it to be originally created with the exposed cor-ten steel on the exterior. Throughout the decades, however, graffiti plagued the sculpture. Years later, money was raised to paint the work a brilliant red hue, which both protected the sculpture and completed Rosenthal's original vision.