INABA illuminates the flatiron plaza with new york light installation

the flatiron plaza is a unique space in new york. standing in the middle of the space, people can see two of the city’s great landmarks: the flatiron and empire state buildings. it is a place to experience the magnificence of manhattan’s urban plan – with a dramatic view of broadway cutting diagonally through the famous grid. and because madison square park creates a clearing in the urban fabric, the site is one of the few places in the heart of the metropolis to see the skyline from street level.

view from the flatiron building looking northward to the installation
photo © cameron blaylock | main photo © naho kubota

INABA‘s public art installation ‘new york light’ pays tribute to the special experiences from this one-of-a-kind vantage point. designed to echo the form of the plaza’s namesake building, the prow of the structure frames the flatiron. at the other end, the steel tube project opens northward toward broadway and fifth avenue, outlining a view of the empire state.

framing the flatiron
photo © zhonghan huang

hundreds of mirror-finished panels hang from the construct so visitors standing inside can enjoy the views surrounded by partial reflections of the immediate neighborhood. for the city that never sleeps, animated LEDs illuminate the components at night, inviting opportunities to take photos with friends or of oneself with the downtown landscape in the background.

programmable LEDs are set a series of animations
photo © zhonghan huang

in addition to offering passersby with these perspectives, the work serves as an illuminated backdrop for events. performers stand at the north end while the structure provides a visual buffer to traffic along 23rd St.

view from 23rd Street
photo © zhonghan huang

according to the designers, ‘the area’s beautiful evening light comes from the many residential buildings facing the plaza. they cast a glow that’s softer than in the flashier more commercial squares along broadway – with a hue that is more indicative of the public spaces in the city’s many residential neighborhoods. it’s this quality that ‘new york light’ tries to replicate and literally reflect this holiday season.’

events will take place here throughout the holiday season
photo © cameron blaylock

the flatiron plaza
photo © naho kubota

view looking south down broadway
photo © naho kubota

detail of the reflective panels
photo © naho kubota

the panels enhance the aesthetic
photo © naho kubota

the work provides a visual buffer
photo © INABA 

the immediate area is home to several landmarked buildings and madison square park
photo © naho kubota

project info:

project organizers: flatiron 23rd street partnership (jennifer brown, jane kojima), van alen institute (david van der leer, jerome chou)
project team: INABA (jeffrey inaba, yoichiro mizuno, zhonghan huang), tillotson design associates (suzan tillotson, erin dreyfous, megan pfeffer), bengal.fierro (tomer bengal, carlos fierro), robert silman associates (nat oppenheimer, pat arnett, paul laroque), walsh electrical contractors (ryan walsh, mike acquesta)
photography: naho kubota, cameron blaylock, zhonghan huang
with additional generous support from: DLC, international lights, crestron, bartco lighting

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.