A new sculpture that will serve as the epicenter of all of Times Square’s Valentine’s Day events this year will be unveiled next week.
Made by Habitat Workshop, “Bloom” is this year’s winner of Times Square Arts annual Love in Times Square Design Competition, presented in partnership with The Museum of Arts and Design and fabricated by IDEKO. Bloom will be unveiled on Feb. 9 at Father Duffy Square, between 46th and 47th Streets, and will remain on display through March 9.
Times Square Arts has hosted this design competition for 14 years now and uses it as an opportunity to applaud the work of architecture and design firms and address themes of love during the month of February. This year, A+A+A, bioMATTERS Studio, Devang Arvind Shah, and Studio Fierro were invited to submit proposals to the competition alongside Habitat Workshop.
“Bloom is a lighthearted reminder that we’re all bound together in some way, and speaks to the power of the collective to uplift one another – an intervention that channels the everyday elements of Times Square into a space for levity and connection,” said Times Square Arts Director Jean Cooney.
“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,” said Habitat Workshop’s Jieun Yang.
Bloom is made out of a series of interconnected red and white PVC pipes that are bundled together to create a circular roof plane pixelated with circles that extend downwards at different heights. Positioned between two statues on Duffy Square, Bloom takes the form of a cloudscape that is filled with vaulted portals that allow light to come through in all directions.
The lights from Times Square shine through on visitors when they enter the structure, serving as a reminder that the fleeting moments of happiness and joy that persevere even in the shroud of darkness. At night, Times Square’s billboards and buildings enhance Bloom by projecting a hanging spectrum of color onto the project. The bundled pipes work together to bloom from the center in a stunning arrangement of pixelated heart formations, while the pattern changes direction and becomes elongated and shortened throughout the day.
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.
