The Valentine’s message for this year’s heart sculpture project sponsored by the Times Square Alliance is “More people = more love.”
Designed by BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group) with FLATCUT and Local Projects, the interactive heart sculpture, BIG♥NYC, reflects the bright lights and pulsing energy of the city in the middle of Times Square.
BIG♥NYC is a big pink heart made of LEDs embedded in the base of a 10 foot (three meter) tall cube of 400 acrylic tubes. The LED lights are activated nightly and emit a red, heart shaped glow. When moved by the wind, the heart appears to pulsate. Sensors surrounding the sculpture capture and convert energy from passing footsteps into light. Another sensor in front of the heart more directly appeals to passersby to feed the light of the heart by touching the sensor.
A larger, more connected crowd will make the heart glow brighter and beat faster. Ingels explains, “The heart reflects what Times Square is made of, people and light. The more people, the stronger the light.”
BIG♥NYC will be on display through the month of February.
Images: Ho Kyung Lee and Ka-Man Tse
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