Two Hearts proposes a Valentine’s Day gift to New York City: a heart-shaped radiator that taps into the City’s innocuous, underground steam system, creating a warm microcosm in Times Square for its 370 thousand daily visitors and their loved ones.
On Valentine’s Day, the average high in New York’s Times Square is a chilly 32°F – a temperature antithetical to the warmth of the holiday. Meanwhile, steam with a temperature of 358°F passes unseen just below Father Duffy Square as it circulates through the 100-mile-long, city-wide network. The Two Hearts radiator heats and excites the air above a large subway grating, which is unique to this specific location, and the resulting heat haze visually signifies the boundary of this intimate world amidst the overwhelming sights and sounds of its surroundings. Inside the steamy footprint, the air is noticeably warmer, a tactile activation of the love-filled holiday, complete with the well-known symbolism of a red neon heart.
Client: Times Square Alliance
Program: Cultural, Public Art
Status: Complete
Size: 85 SF
Location: New York, NY
Team:
Architect: Abraham May Architects (Kyle May, Scott Abrahams, Danny WIlls)
Images: Kyle May, Scott Abrahams, Danny Wills