Designers Unveil Public Improvements In Times Square

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — Five innovative concepts for enhancing public space were unveiled Thursday in Times Square. The installations, pitched and created by industrial designers, are completely accessible to the public.

The public installation, called the Times Square Design Lab, was commissioned by the Times Square Alliance for NYCxDESIGN — a city-wide celebration of innovative design running from May 11 to May 23. The five designs located in Times Square Plaza offer innovative solutions for seating, signage and a public bookshelf, the Times Square Alliance said.

“Like NYC, Times Square is constantly changing and churning, and to both respond to and shape that churn we’ve wanted to tap the best design talent in New York City. A focal point for the challenge of that changing environment is Times Square’s public spaces, where we want design that is both distinctive and functional and different from that which has come before," Tim Tompkins, president of the Times Square Alliance, said in a statement.

The five installations are called "Island Collection," "Re: Post," "The Village," "Title Wave" and "Drop Sign," and were created by designers Brad Ascalon, DYAD, Joe Doucet, Hive Public Space and Louis Lim.

"Island Collection" and "The Village" both improve on the standard public bench and "Re: Post" and "Drop Sign" provide eye-catching signage that can engage passersby. "Title Wave" combines a public bookshelf with a bench, providing a great reading spot amid the hustle of Times Square.

"The Design Lab is the newest step in expanding our ideas of what we can do with public space through the talents of New York City designers," Tompkins said in a statement.

Photos courtesy Times Square Allaince