Times Electronic Square Garden

The “Times Electronic Square Garden” installation is meant to initiate a reflection about climate change, energy use, and green urban spaces. This installation lived for 24 hours in the middle of Times Square and it was designed by New York University students. The public was invited to immerse and interact with this earth bomb that features speakers and live sensors.

Today’s scarcity of public spaces due to rampant privatization leaves little room for truly enjoyable outdoor respites. In order to produce a unique interpretation of future public space, our design group was challenged to explore the dynamic networked relationships between living and non-living elements. While there have been many points of confluence traditionally between the media-based digital realm and the architecture of open space, the specificity of these relationships and how they are embedded in the urban tapestry often remains unrecognized within the discourses of both disciplines. This installation fuses that relationship and introduces a life-sized garden-like artifact, promoting an immersive experience with visual and sound responses.