New York Light by INABA Illuminates Iconic Flatiron Intersection for the 2014 Winter Holiday Season
Nov 24, 2014
(Flatiron, NY) – The Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership and Van Alen Institute have unveiled the dynamic LED and mirror-paneled New York Light installation in front of the famed Flatiron Building for the 2014 winter holiday season. New York Light was selected as the winner of the first-ever Flatiron Plaza Holiday Design Competition in September.
Designed by INABA, New York Light illuminates the North Public Plaza – at Broadway, Fifth Avenue, and 23rd Street – as a backdrop for events, and gives visitors a special view of the Flatiron building and the Madison Square skyline this season. The design is the result of a collaboration between the Brooklyn-based INABA, bengal.fierro, Tillotson Design Associates, Robert Silman Associates, Walsh Electrical Contracting Inc., DLC, International Lights, Crestron, Bartco Lighting, and Naho Kubota.
Created to echo the plaza’s namesake building, the installation frames the Flatiron Building to its south. At the other end, the steel tube installation faces north along Broadway, opening up to outline a view of the Empire State Building. Reflective panels hang from the artwork so visitors standing inside can see these views bordered by partial reflections of the plaza’s surroundings. At night, twinkling LEDs illuminate the installation to create dramatic vantage points, inviting opportunities for photos with the city in the background.
“The Flatiron Plaza is one of the few places where it’s possible to truly experience the magnificence of Manhattan’s urban plan. And it’s a unique spot in the heart of the city where the sky and skyline can be seen from street level,” said Jeffrey Inaba, Founder of INABA. “The installation is meant to be a place to take in these qualities, as well as to appreciate all of the street activity day and night through its many reflective panels.”
“We’re very interested in the way public art can transform a familiar landscape into a new way for people to experience the city. When we saw the design for this installation, we knew we wanted to be part of it. We were excited by the challenge of devising a fabrication solution that would blend the piece into the environment. The ultimate result is an installation of mirror-polished components that reflect the city in a dazzling kaleidoscope of light and color. It’s a lively addition to the Flatiron District this holiday season and we’re proud to be part of it,” added Tomer Bengal and Carlos Fierro, Partners at bengal.fierro.
“This amazing piece of art celebrates the holidays and New York itself, lighting up the Flatiron North Public Plaza and paying tribute to its views of the city from this special vantage point for the tens of thousands of people who pass through the district each day,” said Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership Executive Director Jennifer Brown.
“Activating public spaces through design has been at the core of our work for years,” said Van Alen Institute Executive Director David van der Leer. “This elegant yet cool installation will further stimulate interactions between locals and visitors in the increasingly vibrant Flatiron District.”
“We are pleased to partner once again with the Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership and a new partner, the Van Alen Institute, to present this spectacular light installation for the holiday season with the Flatiron Plaza,” said Wendy Feuer, Assistant Commissioner, Urban Design, Art & Wayfinding, New York City Department of Transportation. “The artwork not only complements the surrounding architecture, but enlivens the plaza for New Yorkers and visitors at this special time of year.”
In July, seven artists and architecture firms were invited to submit proposals for this year’s installation. Proposals were reviewed by a jury with expertise in design and public art, including representatives from the Flatiron Partnership and Van Alen Institute’s Board of Trustees.
Sponsored by the Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership, “23 Days of Flatiron Cheer” is also made possible with generous support from Presenting Sponsors Tiffany & Co. and Meringoff Properties, Contributing Sponsors Grey Group and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group.
About the Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership
The Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership Business Improvement District, formed in 2006, is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to enhance the area’s reputation as one of New York’s most vital and exciting neighborhoods. This is accomplished by maintaining a clean and safe environment for the district’s businesses, residents and visitors; by spearheading area improvement projects; and by marketing the diverse business and retail options in this vibrant and historic neighborhood.
Learn more at www.FlatironDistrict.nyc
Facebook: FlatironDistrict.nyc/facebook
Twitter & Instagram: @FlatironNY
Email: info@flatironbid.org
About Van Alen Institute
At Van Alen Institute, we believe design can transform cities, landscapes, and regions to improve people’s lives. We collaborate with communities, scholars, policymakers, and professionals on local and global initiatives that rigorously investigate the most pressing social, cultural, and ecological challenges of tomorrow. Building on more than a century of experience, we develop cross-disciplinary research, provocative public programs, and inventive design competitions.
Van Alen Institute’s competitions address all scales of spatial design, from temporary installations activating public plazas to large-scale landscape and infrastructure projects. Recent and ongoing competitions include Rebuild by Design, sponsored by President Obama’s Hurricane Sandy Task Force and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which resulted in nearly a billion dollars of funding to support innovative design and planning strategies to better protect cities and towns across the Northeast from future storms; and Future Ground, in partnership with the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority, which will develop design and policy strategies to reuse vacant land in New Orleans. Van Alen Institute also partnered with the Times Square Alliance for the 2014 Valentine Heart Design Competition, which resulted in the interactive public art installation Match-Maker by Young Projects celebrating Valentine’s Day in Times Square.
Learn more at www.vanalen.org.
Facebook: facebook.com/vanaleninstitute
Twitter & Instagram: @van_alen
Email: vai@vanalen.org
About NYC Department of Transportation’s Art Program
Since 2008, the Art Program has installed over 100 engaging temporary art installations throughout the city. The program partners with community-based organizations and artists to present murals, sculptures, projections, and performances on public property such as: plazas, fences, barriers, bridges, step streets and sidewalks. Projects are presented within four program tracks: Arterventions, Barrier Beautification, Community Commissions, and Site to Site. As part of the Barrier Beautification program, twenty- three barriers spanning six miles or 31,680 linear feet have been beautified throughout all five boroughs. For more information about the DOT Art Program, visit: www.nyc.dot.gov/urbanart. For photos of past barrier projects visit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nycstreets.
About INABA
INABA specializes in an analytical approach to design and construction. The office applies a creative method of problem solving to arrive at unique options that can be realized with a high degree of resolution. This stems from the practice’s broader philosophy to grasp the depths of a problem and to provide clients with findings that assist in making better-informed decisions during concepting, programming, design, and realization phases. Learn more at www.inaba.us.
