Our proposal focuses on sharing the reflections and impressions of visitors from the past with those of the present by writing their stories on the square. The stories, selected from those submitted to a blog comprise the primary pattern of text within the plazas at Times Square. The cadence of text represents the energy and activity at play within the plaza, placing shorter statements in areas of repose and longer, linear strands of text in areas of greater movement. The static text of the ground contrasts with moving text and images of the surrounding screens and ticker tapes, recalling the square’s namesake, The New York Times. Those with a vantage above the square might have views interrupted momentarily by pedestrians passing through the plaza. Such experiences remind visitors that beyond the excitement of the illuminated surfaces, it is the people that make the place, and that the measure of a place’s importance is the effect it has on its occupants.
Collaborating Firm:
Greg Canaras