Bloom
Designed by architecture and urban design practice Habitat Workshop, Bloom is the winner of the 14th Annual Times Square Love and Design Competition, which was presented in partnership with The Museum of Arts and Design. Bloom will be on view in Duffy Square from February 9 to March 9.
From afar, Bloom resembles a pavilion — a circular roof supported by a series of interlocked pink and white PVC pipes. From above, it blooms from the center with an arrangement of pixelated hearts. And from below, it becomes a buoyant cloudscape where the pipes overhead, descending to different heights, become vaulted portals allowing light to peek through from all directions. The structure channels the brightness of Times Square and showers down rays of light that greet visitors once they enter the structure, serving as a reminder of the fleeting moments of happiness and joy that persevere even in the shroud of darkness.
“We are honored for the opportunity to create a project that recognizes human fragility and strength, especially after a few years of struggle to care for ourselves and others in this overwhelming and disruptive world. Multiple sections of linked pipes form a buoyant cloud with a heart-shaped core blooming from each section’s center, and the aggregate of each interlocking connector provides strength for the overall structure. Bloom is an offering of hope and a reminder that we must find vivacity amid the darkness.”
— Jieun Yang, Habitat Workshop
At night, surrounding billboards, buildings, and headlights cast a constantly changing spectrum of colors and light onto Bloom, creating a pattern that shifts direction, elongates, and shortens throughout the day.
The centers of each heart cluster create the supportive cores that hold the project aloft, and the strength of the project’s structure comes from each small piece acting as a vital connector, revealing how important grounding forces and networks are for us to find lightness.
Bloom is an homage to the collective love for humanity — a shared experience that creates a sheltered canopy in the middle of Times Square — for all New Yorkers and visitors alike. Embodying both human fragility and strength, the work reminds us that we are all bound together, each with the responsibility to uplift and support one another so we can float together.
Bloom was fabricated by IDEKO.
Support for Bloom is provided in part by the National Endowment for the Arts; the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature; and public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.
For thirteen years, Times Square Arts has hosted the Times Square Love and Design Competition to applaud the work of architecture and design firms and address themes of love during the month of February in Times Square. This year’s competition was presented in partnership with The Museum of Arts and Design. Now in its 14th year, the competition serves as a beacon of collective resilience and provides a sense of stability to an ever-changing city — especially during times of prolonged worldwide isolation.
A+A+A, bioMATTERS Studio, Devang Arvind Shah, and Studio Fierro were invited to submit proposals to the competition alongside Habitat Workshop. The competition selection committee included:
- Museum of Arts and Design Deputy Director and Chief Curator Elissa Auther
- Carson Chan, Director of Emilio Ambasz Institute for the Joint Study of the Built and the Natural Environment at MoMA
- Kendal Henry, Assistant Commissioner, Public Art, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs
- Kim Yao, Principal, Architecture Research Office
- Wendy Feuer, former Assistant Commissioner of Urban Design + Art + Wayfinding, NYC DOT
- Elizabeth Masella, Senior Public Art Coordinator, New York City Parks Department
- Nina Marren, Senior Program Manager, NYC DOT Art Program
ADA Accessibility Consultant (Non-voting): Victor Calise, Commissioner, Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities
See the proposals from all the invitees.
Bloom will be the epicenter of activities on Valentine’s Day in Times Square, including weddings, surprise proposals, and a vow renewal ceremony. For more information or for those who wish to participate, visit: www.TSQ.org/Love.
ABOUT HABITAT WORKSHOP
Habitat Workshop is an award-winning architecture and urban design practice promoting design as a framework for positive changes. With projects ranging from urban design to homes and exhibitions, Habitat Workshop creates spaces, objects, ideas, and interactions that activate human connections, build resiliency, and reveal the intrinsic value of a place. Habitat Workshop combines research and practice to continuously refine ways of knowing, asking, learning, and making through collaborations and experiments. And its work explores the extraordinary potential in the ordinary and embraces constraints as the foundation for creative solutions.
ABOUT MUSEUM OF ARTS AND DESIGN
The Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) champions contemporary makers across creative fields, presenting artists, designers, and artisans who apply the highest level of ingenuity and skill to their work. Since the Museum’s founding in 1956 by philanthropist and visionary Aileen Osborn Webb, MAD has celebrated all facets of making and the creative processes by which materials are transformed, from traditional techniques to cutting-edge technologies. Today, the Museum’s curatorial program builds upon a rich history of exhibitions that emphasize a cross-disciplinary approach to art and design, and reveals the workmanship behind the objects and environments that shape our everyday lives. MAD provides an international platform for practitioners who are influencing the direction of cultural production and driving 21st-century innovation, fostering a participatory setting for visitors to have direct encounters with skilled making and compelling works of art and design. madmuseum.org
ABOUT IDEKO
IDEKO is a full-service event production agency specializing in the production of large-scale experiential events. Our mission is to make our client’s production dreams a reality by providing expert knowledge and hands-on technical service. From permitting, to fabrication, to production and everything in between, IDEKO's award-winning team of experts is ready to take on your next event. As experiential leaders, our passion is to create incredible experiences that exceed industry standards. We think in practicality, not theory—our comprehensive approach to design, production, and permitting ensures success on every project. Our company focuses on innovative ways to create engaging live experiences for its clients including Red Bull North America, Proctor & Gamble, and Nike, among others. IDEKO takes clients through the entire event process from ideation to completion including planning, design, logistics, securing event permits in Times Square, NYC, LA and other major cities, budgeting, production, custom fabrications and mobile marketing. ideko.com