New York, NY
Heart of Hearts Sculpture
Scope/Solutions
To celebrate Valentine’s day, the Times Square Alliance invites architecture and design firms to submit entries for a public art installation. In 2016, the alliance selected Collective-LOK’s design, Heart of Hearts, as the winning installation. SGH designed the structure – a ring of mirrored, golden hearts – which was on display in Times Square from 9 February to 6 March 2016.
SGH developed conceptual designs as the project progressed on a rapid schedule. We used Collective-LOK’s three-dimensional Rhino models to perform multiple structural analyses, allowing us to quickly respond with structural recommendations. Through this iterative process, our team selected the final scale, number, and arrangement of the hearts based on structural, fabrication, and cost parameters. Collective-LOK envisioned a very thin panel. SGH analyzed the aluminium panels, including warping and buckling, and optimized the panel thickness down to 1/4 in. thick.
The Times Square Alliance prohibited any anchorage to the sidewalk, resulting in a challenging structural design. We addressed this by focusing on the connections between the twelve golden hearts. Although SGH determined each of the mirrored hearts is stable on its own when isolated from the elements, we relied on the connected circle of hearts to resist the wind forces.
Kammetal Inc. fabricated the components as a series of tripods, allowing them to quickly erect the sculpture and connect the pieces during the 2:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. installation timeframe.