Times Square is home to an inflatable building that’s serving as the hub of a nine-day program of design installations, exhibitions and more.
The Design Pavilion, open Saturday through May 20, returns in time for NYCxDESIGN, an annual celebration of design that takes place across the city and features exhibitions, installations, trade shows, panels and product launches.
The Design Pavilion is Times Square’s own event, and organizers are promising that it will bring the newest and most creative designs to the center of Manhattan.
Here’s what you need to know:
What the organizers are saying
“The Design Pavilion is truly the public centerpiece of our official design week in New York and a celebration of how design is shaping our future,” Ilene Shaw, the founding producer of Design Pavilion said. “There is no other location that attracts more people at one time daily [than Times Square]. Led by President Tim Tompkins, Times Square Alliance is putting their full effort and support in successfully making Times Square a beautiful, safe and enjoyable public space for all. And we know that good design is helping to make this come to fruition. It’s a shining example of design’s great influence on civic planning.”
When you can see it
May 12-20, between 11 a.m. and 9 p.m. Admission is free, and you can view it on Instagram at @design_pavilion.
What you’ll see
A 25-foot-tall, 2,000-square foot inflatable pavilion
This inflatable structure by Inflate will house much of the exhibition. Called “fast-architecture,” it’s light and soft while still providing a sheltered space. The same company that lights the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the High Line, L’Observatoire, will highlight the pavilion with a lighting installation.
A large glass cube
Designers competed to win the chance to exhibit their designs by innovatively wrapping everyday objects, such as a chair, a lamp or a table, using graphic material from Avery Dennison. The winner’s work will be featured inside the cube. The cube itself will transform from transparent glass to a surface of patterns and colors. Floor wraps using Janela technology can be scanned to reveal information about the winner and their work.
Creative and innovative seating
“Anti-gravity” seating for “re-lying” by Javier Zubiria/zU-studio will give you a new way to sit that reduces pressure on your back and changes your posture for better breathing and circulation.
A parade of “puppies” you can sit on, a seat featuring geometric cutouts, and chairs that spin can be found in the Magis section of the exhibition.
Others from the Times Square Design Lab include the “Island Collection,” plant-lined modular seating by Brad Ascalon; “The Village,” podlike chairs by designer Joe Doucet; and the “Title Wave” bench by Hive Public Space that includes books from The Strand Book Store kiosk.
Ideas for the future of take-out
Pratt Institute students will show off their ideas on how to eliminate one-time use packaging for fast food, including one that looks like a series of tubes that deliver your food.
A pop-up shop
Peruse the latest innovations for the home and your daily life with a pop-up shop by Brooklyn-based American Design Club.
Other things you can take part in
You can sit in on talks with leading art, design, civic and architecture experts, including a discussion between Frances Bronet, the president of Pratt Institute, Debbie Millman, the host of the “Design Matters” podcast, and Sybil Yurman, the co-founder of David Yurman.
These talks will be held at 4 Times Square (151 W. 42nd St).
For more information, visit design-pavilion.com
