X is for Love

Our proposal for a Valentine’s installation in Times Square is inspired by the particular history of this iconic New York urban space and its presence in the eyes of the world as a byword for a thriving intersection of people, place and culture. We reflected on the inspiring and hopeful brief for this project in the context of our current polarized and charged political climate and felt strongly that the solution must address not only the idea of romantic love that Valentine’s Day has come to signify, but larger expressions of love as it affects our societies and communities. With this in mind, we explored the tectonic possibilities of intersecting shapes and examined what happens when two different planes intersect. Our search for simplicity in this process revealed the form of our proposal: two converging planes that together make an iconic “X” , which, when met at their intersection by a cylindrical volume, creates a heart-shaped space. For us the message is: at the meeting of difference and division, when justice, equality and democracy are inserted, love can be created. - Reddymade Architects