Connecting Times Square
Responsive Street Furniture
Designed in response to an invitation by the Times Square Alliance, the modular seating system proposes a strategy for place-making that is adaptable, resilient, and allows the self-assembly of social spaces unique to the vibrant environment of Times Square. Nearly 364,000 people visit Times Square daily, and the plazas host a variety of programs and events that are constantly changing.
Composed of post-consumer recycled plastic, these sustainable and multifunctional pieces create a variable landscape within the open spaces of the Times Square pedestrian plazas, specifically in the area known as “the Bowtie”
(where Broadway crosses Seventh Avenue between 42nd and 47th Streets). Through an ongoing dialogue with the Times Square Alliance’s creative team, the seating design was refined and adapted to fit perfectly into the overall redevelopment master plan. In addition to providing a resting place and meeting point for the adventuring tourist, or serving as a lunch spot for neighborhood employees eager to escape the office, the units are also equipped with charging stations.
| Location | New York, NY |
| Type | Public Space / Sensors / Data |
| Area | 185,360 ft2 / 17,220 m2 |
| Status | Commissioned Study |
| Year | 2016–2017 |
| Client | Times Square Alliance |
| Team | Bettina Zerza, Principal Seth Embry, Maia Simon, Karl Tipler |
Consultants
Material Database: Material ConneXion
Product Development: MAGIS spa
Site Plan Times Square
Seating Arrangements
Wireless charging
WiFi
Bold Graphic Shape
Symmetrical Form
Stackable
Projected Interactions: Outward, Inward, and Linear
