Ziggy

The Flatiron NoMad Partnership and Van Alen Institute selected Ziggy as the winning entry for the sixth annual Flatiron Public Plaza Holiday Design Competition, and the project was open to the public from November, 2019 to January, 2020. Over 2 million people visited Ziggy during this initial exhibition.

Ziggy is a kaleidoscopic beacon designed to celebrate the winter season with vibrant hues and playful gestures. Located between Broadway, 5th Ave and 23rd Street, the project softly ricochets between the narrow bounds of its triangular site, effectively echoing the urban and architectural context while establishing a broad structural footprint.

A collection of apertures and thresholds frame views of the Flatiron District’s many attractions and landmarks while also welcoming visitors and allowing for a steady stream of locals to pass by unimpeded. For those seeking a moment of respite, the design is accentuated by several “gateways” which have been upended to serve as benches.

The thin linear elements that define Ziggy’s porous composition are lightweight, visually transparent and impervious to wind. As one encounters the piece, its 27,000 feet of iridescent cord visually converges and dynamically filters the surrounding context with shifting colors, patterns and light.

Thanks to our collaborators, the engineers at Schlaich Bergermann Partner as well as A05 Studio, who fabricated the steel structure.

Following its exhibition at Flatiron Plaza, the layout of Ziggy was reconfigured and put on display at the South Street Seaport in 2020 with the support of the Alliance for Downtown New York and the Rockrose Group. In 2021, Ziggy was re-configured again and exhibited at Harborside Plaza in Jersey City, New Jersey with the support of Mack-Cali.