Times Square Alliance Recruits Esteemed NYC Designers to Rethink Street Furniture

In 2017, Times Square Alliance inaugurated a newly pedestrianized plaza, masterminded by global firm Snøhetta. Today, the organization reveals a brand-new initiative, Times Square Design Lab, that recasts the famed “crossroads of the world” as a design laboratory for public space. Designers Brad Ascalon, Joe Doucet, Louis Lim, DYAD, and Hive Public Space all responded to briefs for street furniture that will improve the destination’s pedestrian experience—and embody New York’s undying creative spirit.

The initiative signals an exciting new phase for Times Square Alliance, which is collaborating with 6c Design to create the inaugural lab. “We asked great New York City designers to develop innovative ideas for improving one of the world’s most iconic public spaces, building on permanent transformations such as the red steps, pedestrian plazas, and temporary transformations through design and public art,” said Tim Tompkins, Times Square Alliance president. The alliance has commissioned temporary installations such as the annual Valentine’s Heart Competition and Jürgen Mayer H.’s XXX Times Square With Love.

Each prototype will be unveiled in Times Square alongside the Design Pavilion, which will act as a hub during NYCxDESIGN, the city’s month-long celebration of design.