Hello Cindy! Celebrates New York City with David Rockwell
Heading into the long weekend, David Rockwell—Hall of Fame inductee and Rockwell Group founder—helped put viewers in the vacation mood along with Editor in Chief Cindy Allen (@thecindygram), as the two maintained the celebratory spirit from Monday’s virtual NYCxDesign Awards.
Speaking of the awards, one category Rockwell Group won for is Exhibition/Installation with Journey to the Edge. Done in tandem with LAB at Rockwell Group, The Edge observation deck at Hudson Yards tells a story of the development’s evolution with digital art projected onto glass pylons and walls. Inspired by the skyline of Manhattan and the views from the observation deck, linear patterns are central to the artistic vision that spans each section of Journey to the Edge. Guests learn about Hudson Yards in the context of the city’s ever-changing history, the construction of the 10-acre steel and concrete platform that supports the neighborhood above the rail yard, and what the future of New York City may look like.
Right now, “the city is like an empty theater,” according to Rockwell. In an effort to help people return safely to public spaces, Rockwell Group is working across different project types, including one prototype focused on restaurants, specifically, and their return to business. “It’s going to be a long journey for restaurants,” says Rockwell, hoping this project will bring life back into the street of New York City. A sharer as well as designer, this team’s prototype is being adopted by firms in Chicago, Washington D.C., and other cities as well.
On how sheltering in place has shifted the way Rockwell thinks about design, he says: “You get to analyze rituals that make transitions in life meaningful.” Whether it’s transforming a space from day to night or transitioning a home gathering place into a work environment, how we live impacts the ways designers continue to create new spaces. “We’re privileged as designers to live in the world of imagining and creating solutions,” he added.
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