Reported for the Flatiron Hot! News by Tod Shapiro
It’s that time of year, and the Flatiron BID is rolling out its latest design winner to help celebrate the holiday and New Year spirit as part of its 23 Days of Cheer program. As all Flatiron denizens have come to expect, our local BID – the Flatiron 23rd Street Partnership – offers a potpourri of public events, promotional discounts, and opportunities for local merchants, citizens, and visitors to the District to come together and celebrate the holidays.
This year’s installation – Studio Cooke John’s “Point of Action,” is a public sculpture that speaks to the challenge of socially distancing ourselves in the time of Covid 19, while remaining in touch with one another. Come check out the installation at the Flatiron North Public Plaza on 23rd Street and 5th Avenue right across from the Flatiron Building and see for yourselves. For your benefit I am abstracting from their press release on the this year’s “23 Days of Cheer.” (Photo Credit to Cameron Blaylock)
Last night on the Flatiron Public Plazas, the Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership BID previewed its ninth annual “23 Days of Flatiron Cheer” season and unveiled Point of Action, a public art installation by Studio Cooke John that invites New Yorkers to contemplate the experience of seeing one another at a distance and moving forward together during the COVID-19 pandemic. Point of Action was selected through the seventh annual Flatiron Plaza Holiday Design Installation program, in partnership with Van Alen Institute and NYC DOT Art.
“23 Days of Flatiron Cheer”—from Tuesday, December 1 through Wednesday, December 23—will feature digital giveaways, gift guides, deals, and more, to support local Flatiron and NoMad retailers and restaurants.
“In this challenging year, 23 Days of Flatiron Cheer gives New Yorkers opportunities to experience the best of Flatiron and NoMad, while supporting neighborhood businesses that have been struggling to stay afloat during the pandemic,” said James Mettham, Executive Director of the Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership. “In addition to participating in our online programming, we encourage New Yorkers to come see the dynamic Point of Action Installation, enjoy our Open Streets, and explore our 400-plus restaurants, stores, and cultural venues that are offering safe, socially-distanced experiences this holiday season.”
“23 Days of Flatiron Cheer”
Now in its ninth year, “23 Days of Flatiron Cheer” is made possible by generous support from Presenting SponsorMeringoff Properties and Supporting Sponsor 212 Fifth Avenue.
This year’s roster of programming—which can be viewed at flatirondistrict.nyc/holiday2020 —includes:
- Holiday District Deals. Take advantage of discounts at neighborhood businesses. Great for gift inspiration! Use these deals to spend with your heart at all of your local favorites this season.
- Flatiron Cheer Gift Guides. Let the Flatiron Partnership help you choose the perfect present for your loved ones. Curate a special Flatiron day or find that quirky gift at an unexpected retailer. Whether ordering online, picking up in-store, or stocking up on gift cards, the Partnership will point you in the right direction.
- Virtual Flatiron Holiday Tour. On Thursday, December 17 at 7:00 PM, join the Flatiron Partnership’s professional tour guide for a 60-minute virtual tour of the Flatiron District with a holiday twist. This tour, held via Zoom, features historic photos to illustrate the retelling of notable events.
- Holiday Meal Kits. Celebrate the season by kicking your feet up and letting someone else cook. The Flatiron Partnership has got a rundown on holiday meals large and small for a low stress way to feed your loved ones while supporting the restaurants you love.
- Digital Giveaways. Win prizes from popular district stores and restaurants. Follow the Flatiron Partnership @FlatironNY and subscribe to our newsletter at bit.ly/FlatironNews for your chance to win.
- Gifts for the Greater Good. The Flatiron Partnership is raising money to support local retailers and those in need this holiday season. Funds raised will be used to purchase presents from Flatiron shops to be gifted to struggling New York City families. Join the Partnership by donating to make a meaningful impact in the neighborhood.
Point of Action
Point of Action will be on view through January 1, 2021 in the Flatiron Public Plazas on Broadway, Fifth Avenue, and 23rd Street in Manhattan, creating a highly visible landmark throughout the holidays.
Designed by Studio Cooke John, Point of Action invites New Yorkers and visitors to contemplate the experience of seeing one another—and being seen. Once the viewer steps out of their usual routine and into the installation’s threshold, there are multiple opportunities for connection with fellow viewers and with passersby. Six-foot circles affixed onto the Flatiron Public Plazas create nine “spotlights,” each with its own vertical metal frame. Ropes weave through each frame and part, like a curtain figuratively pulled aside, to make room for the viewer to take the spotlight, connect with other viewers across the Plazas, and take action as they move out and beyond. Lighting emitted from a halo above each circle strengthens the framing; lights embedded into the sides of each frame add another layer to the viewer.
“We are at a threshold during this pandemic. Now that our eyes have been opened to realities that have been with us all along, how do we move forward? My hope is that Point of Action makes people think about how we connect to the people we see every day so that we can move forward together,” said Nina Cooke John, Founder and Principal of Studio Cooke John.
As the first Flatiron Public Plaza Design Installation to be spread throughout both the North and South Plazas, Point of Action’s larger footprint allows for more socially distanced engagement. However, the installation’s concentric circles ripple out from each spot, eventually connecting with other circles, and thus other viewers, across the Plazas.
“Point of Action beautifully meets our city’s current moment of uncertainty, provoking us to think not only about our interconnectedness with one another, but the role of our public spaces in creating connected, healthy, and resilient communities as we look toward collective recovery,” said James Mettham, Executive Director of the Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership. “There is no better place for this installation than the Flatiron Public Plazas, world-renown public spaces for meeting friends, participating in our public programming, and enjoying art and architecture. We are proud to partner with Van Alen Institute to present Point of Action and we invite visitors from near and far to visit Flatiron this season.”
“This year has been a profound exercise in finding new ways of connecting, from embracing video calls to coming together in social action. With Point of Action, Studio Cooke John powerfully captures the importance of building new connections and community, which are critical to our city’s resilience,” said Deborah Marton, Executive Director, Van Alen Institute. “The Flatiron Public Plaza Design Installation is an important part of Van Alen Institute’s Public Realm R&D program, intended to surface the work of emerging designers and test new strategies to bring people together in public space. We’re honored to collaborate with the Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership to activate this iconic plaza, especially as our outdoor public spaces have proven essential to our wellbeing.”
“This year DOT Art is especially appreciative of Studio Cooke John’s highly interactive response in a time when our city is craving connection,” said Wendy Feuer, DOT Assistant Commissioner of Urban Design + Art + Wayfinding. “For the first time, work will be installed on both the North and South Plazas, which strengthens the theme of connectivity and allows space for reflection.”
Studio Cooke John is a multidisciplinary design studio with a broad range of expertise that values placemaking as a way to transform relationships between people and the built environment. Led by Studio Cooke John founder Nina Cooke John, the Point of Action project team includes fabricator Charlie Spademan of Spademan Fabrication; NY Lighting Group, which is donating in-kind fabrication services; lighting consultant Jimmie Drummond of Drummond Projects; and installation contractor Kathy Lysikowska-Diaz of KLD NY Inc.
Studio Cooke John was selected by the Partnership and Van Alen Institute from a shortlist of seven firms, each recommended by design experts in Van Alen’s network. The other shortlisted firms were Architensions, Austin + Mergold, Bryony Roberts Studio, Office Lou Arencibia, Studio Ijeoma, and Studio Zewde.
Nominations for the shortlisted firms were provided by Benjamin Cadena, Founder, Studio Cadena; Justin Garrett Moore, Executive Director, New York City Public Design Commission; Toni L. Griffin, Founder, urbanAC; Nancy Hou & Josh De Sousa, Founders, Hou de Sousa; Jing Liu, Principal, SO-IL; V. Mitch McEwen, Principal, Atelier Office; Ashley Mendelsohn, Architecture Curator and Educator; Leni Schwendinger, Founder, Leni Schwendinger Light Projects; and Jae Shin, Partner, HECTOR.
Since its inception in 2014, the Flatiron Public Plaza Holiday Design Competition has been a platform for the Partnership and Van Alen Institute to deepen their connections with emerging designers, bring people together, and support inventive visions for an iconic urban plaza. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s installation will offer the neighborhood continuity in uncertain times.
The installation is permitted through NYC DOT Art and is open to the public daily, weather permitting. The Partnership is encouraging visitors to use #PointofAction on Twitter and Instagram to share images of the installation.
About the Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership
The Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership, formed in 2006, is a nonprofit organization and Business Improvement District whose mission is to enhance the reputation of Flatiron and NoMad as two of New York’s most vital and exciting neighborhoods. This is accomplished by maintaining a clean and safe environment for the district’s businesses, residents and visitors; by spearheading area improvement projects; and by marketing the diverse business and retail options in this vibrant and historic neighborhood.
FlatironDistrict.nyc
info@flatirondistrict.nyc
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter: @FlatironNY
About Van Alen Institute
Van Alen Institute helps create equitable cities through inclusive design. In an equitable city, every person is civically engaged, regardless of income or personal circumstances. To achieve that goal, inclusive design supports a community-driven public realm.
For more than 125 years, our purposeful community engagement, convening capacity, and global interdisciplinary network have produced profound transformations in the public realm of New York City and beyond. With a core belief in an interdisciplinary approach to design, the Van Alen team has backgrounds in architecture, urban planning, public health, civic advocacy, community engagement, and arts and culture.
vanalen.org
Instagram, Twitter: @van_alen
Facebook: @vanaleninstitute
About the NYC DOT Art Program
The New York City Department of Transportation’s Art Program (DOT Art) partners with community-based, nonprofit organizations and professional artists to present temporary public art on NYC DOT property throughout the five boroughs for up to eleven months. Artists transform streets with colorful murals, dynamic projections and eye-catching sculptures. Sidewalks, fences, triangles, medians, bridges, jersey barriers, step streets, public plazas and pedestrianized spaces serve as canvases and foundations for temporary art. Over the past 12 years, DOT Art has produced over 300 temporary artworks citywide.
nyc.gov/dotart
Instagram: @nyc_DOTArt
Facebook: @NYCDOT
Twitter: @nyc_DOT
About Studio Cooke John
Studio Cooke John is a New York-based design studio with a strong focus on high-impact, residential architecture, as well as design for international cultural institutions. With a broad range of expertise, Studio Cooke John values placemaking as a way to transform relationships between people and the built environment. Throughout the design process, its collaborations with clients yield insights that inform how we, alongside a network of craftsmen, fabricators and consultants, transform spaces within the home and in the public sphere. For more information, visit cookejohn.com.
NYC Theater News
“Point of Action” – 23 Days of Flatiron Cheer Kicks Off with Latest Design Installation in Public Plaza!
Reported for the Flatiron Hot! News by Tod Shapiro
It’s that time of year, and the Flatiron BID is rolling out its latest design winner to help celebrate the holiday and New Year spirit as part of its 23 Days of Cheer program. As all Flatiron denizens have come to expect, our local BID – the Flatiron 23rd Street Partnership – offers a potpourri of public events, promotional discounts, and opportunities for local merchants, citizens, and visitors to the District to come together and celebrate the holidays.
This year’s installation – Studio Cooke John’s “Point of Action,” is a public sculpture that speaks to the challenge of socially distancing ourselves in the time of Covid 19, while remaining in touch with one another. Come check out the installation at the Flatiron North Public Plaza on 23rd Street and 5th Avenue right across from the Flatiron Building and see for yourselves. For your benefit I am abstracting from their press release on the this year’s “23 Days of Cheer.” (Photo Credit to Cameron Blaylock)
Last night on the Flatiron Public Plazas, the Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership BID previewed its ninth annual “23 Days of Flatiron Cheer” season and unveiled Point of Action, a public art installation by Studio Cooke John that invites New Yorkers to contemplate the experience of seeing one another at a distance and moving forward together during the COVID-19 pandemic. Point of Action was selected through the seventh annual Flatiron Plaza Holiday Design Installation program, in partnership with Van Alen Institute and NYC DOT Art.
“23 Days of Flatiron Cheer”—from Tuesday, December 1 through Wednesday, December 23—will feature digital giveaways, gift guides, deals, and more, to support local Flatiron and NoMad retailers and restaurants.
“In this challenging year, 23 Days of Flatiron Cheer gives New Yorkers opportunities to experience the best of Flatiron and NoMad, while supporting neighborhood businesses that have been struggling to stay afloat during the pandemic,” said James Mettham, Executive Director of the Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership. “In addition to participating in our online programming, we encourage New Yorkers to come see the dynamic Point of Action Installation, enjoy our Open Streets, and explore our 400-plus restaurants, stores, and cultural venues that are offering safe, socially-distanced experiences this holiday season.”
“23 Days of Flatiron Cheer”
Now in its ninth year, “23 Days of Flatiron Cheer” is made possible by generous support from Presenting SponsorMeringoff Properties and Supporting Sponsor 212 Fifth Avenue.
This year’s roster of programming—which can be viewed at flatirondistrict.nyc/holiday2020 —includes:
Point of Action
Point of Action will be on view through January 1, 2021 in the Flatiron Public Plazas on Broadway, Fifth Avenue, and 23rd Street in Manhattan, creating a highly visible landmark throughout the holidays.
Designed by Studio Cooke John, Point of Action invites New Yorkers and visitors to contemplate the experience of seeing one another—and being seen. Once the viewer steps out of their usual routine and into the installation’s threshold, there are multiple opportunities for connection with fellow viewers and with passersby. Six-foot circles affixed onto the Flatiron Public Plazas create nine “spotlights,” each with its own vertical metal frame. Ropes weave through each frame and part, like a curtain figuratively pulled aside, to make room for the viewer to take the spotlight, connect with other viewers across the Plazas, and take action as they move out and beyond. Lighting emitted from a halo above each circle strengthens the framing; lights embedded into the sides of each frame add another layer to the viewer.
“We are at a threshold during this pandemic. Now that our eyes have been opened to realities that have been with us all along, how do we move forward? My hope is that Point of Action makes people think about how we connect to the people we see every day so that we can move forward together,” said Nina Cooke John, Founder and Principal of Studio Cooke John.
As the first Flatiron Public Plaza Design Installation to be spread throughout both the North and South Plazas, Point of Action’s larger footprint allows for more socially distanced engagement. However, the installation’s concentric circles ripple out from each spot, eventually connecting with other circles, and thus other viewers, across the Plazas.
“Point of Action beautifully meets our city’s current moment of uncertainty, provoking us to think not only about our interconnectedness with one another, but the role of our public spaces in creating connected, healthy, and resilient communities as we look toward collective recovery,” said James Mettham, Executive Director of the Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership. “There is no better place for this installation than the Flatiron Public Plazas, world-renown public spaces for meeting friends, participating in our public programming, and enjoying art and architecture. We are proud to partner with Van Alen Institute to present Point of Action and we invite visitors from near and far to visit Flatiron this season.”
“This year has been a profound exercise in finding new ways of connecting, from embracing video calls to coming together in social action. With Point of Action, Studio Cooke John powerfully captures the importance of building new connections and community, which are critical to our city’s resilience,” said Deborah Marton, Executive Director, Van Alen Institute. “The Flatiron Public Plaza Design Installation is an important part of Van Alen Institute’s Public Realm R&D program, intended to surface the work of emerging designers and test new strategies to bring people together in public space. We’re honored to collaborate with the Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership to activate this iconic plaza, especially as our outdoor public spaces have proven essential to our wellbeing.”
“This year DOT Art is especially appreciative of Studio Cooke John’s highly interactive response in a time when our city is craving connection,” said Wendy Feuer, DOT Assistant Commissioner of Urban Design + Art + Wayfinding. “For the first time, work will be installed on both the North and South Plazas, which strengthens the theme of connectivity and allows space for reflection.”
Studio Cooke John is a multidisciplinary design studio with a broad range of expertise that values placemaking as a way to transform relationships between people and the built environment. Led by Studio Cooke John founder Nina Cooke John, the Point of Action project team includes fabricator Charlie Spademan of Spademan Fabrication; NY Lighting Group, which is donating in-kind fabrication services; lighting consultant Jimmie Drummond of Drummond Projects; and installation contractor Kathy Lysikowska-Diaz of KLD NY Inc.
Studio Cooke John was selected by the Partnership and Van Alen Institute from a shortlist of seven firms, each recommended by design experts in Van Alen’s network. The other shortlisted firms were Architensions, Austin + Mergold, Bryony Roberts Studio, Office Lou Arencibia, Studio Ijeoma, and Studio Zewde.
Nominations for the shortlisted firms were provided by Benjamin Cadena, Founder, Studio Cadena; Justin Garrett Moore, Executive Director, New York City Public Design Commission; Toni L. Griffin, Founder, urbanAC; Nancy Hou & Josh De Sousa, Founders, Hou de Sousa; Jing Liu, Principal, SO-IL; V. Mitch McEwen, Principal, Atelier Office; Ashley Mendelsohn, Architecture Curator and Educator; Leni Schwendinger, Founder, Leni Schwendinger Light Projects; and Jae Shin, Partner, HECTOR.
Since its inception in 2014, the Flatiron Public Plaza Holiday Design Competition has been a platform for the Partnership and Van Alen Institute to deepen their connections with emerging designers, bring people together, and support inventive visions for an iconic urban plaza. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s installation will offer the neighborhood continuity in uncertain times.
The installation is permitted through NYC DOT Art and is open to the public daily, weather permitting. The Partnership is encouraging visitors to use #PointofAction on Twitter and Instagram to share images of the installation.
About the Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership
The Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership, formed in 2006, is a nonprofit organization and Business Improvement District whose mission is to enhance the reputation of Flatiron and NoMad as two of New York’s most vital and exciting neighborhoods. This is accomplished by maintaining a clean and safe environment for the district’s businesses, residents and visitors; by spearheading area improvement projects; and by marketing the diverse business and retail options in this vibrant and historic neighborhood.
FlatironDistrict.nyc
info@flatirondistrict.nyc
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter: @FlatironNY
About Van Alen Institute
Van Alen Institute helps create equitable cities through inclusive design. In an equitable city, every person is civically engaged, regardless of income or personal circumstances. To achieve that goal, inclusive design supports a community-driven public realm.
For more than 125 years, our purposeful community engagement, convening capacity, and global interdisciplinary network have produced profound transformations in the public realm of New York City and beyond. With a core belief in an interdisciplinary approach to design, the Van Alen team has backgrounds in architecture, urban planning, public health, civic advocacy, community engagement, and arts and culture.
vanalen.org
Instagram, Twitter: @van_alen
Facebook: @vanaleninstitute
About the NYC DOT Art Program
The New York City Department of Transportation’s Art Program (DOT Art) partners with community-based, nonprofit organizations and professional artists to present temporary public art on NYC DOT property throughout the five boroughs for up to eleven months. Artists transform streets with colorful murals, dynamic projections and eye-catching sculptures. Sidewalks, fences, triangles, medians, bridges, jersey barriers, step streets, public plazas and pedestrianized spaces serve as canvases and foundations for temporary art. Over the past 12 years, DOT Art has produced over 300 temporary artworks citywide.
nyc.gov/dotart
Instagram: @nyc_DOTArt
Facebook: @NYCDOT
Twitter: @nyc_DOT
About Studio Cooke John
Studio Cooke John is a New York-based design studio with a strong focus on high-impact, residential architecture, as well as design for international cultural institutions. With a broad range of expertise, Studio Cooke John values placemaking as a way to transform relationships between people and the built environment. Throughout the design process, its collaborations with clients yield insights that inform how we, alongside a network of craftsmen, fabricators and consultants, transform spaces within the home and in the public sphere. For more information, visit cookejohn.com.