Collective-LOK's "Heart of Hearts" chosen as winning 2016 Times Square Valentine Heart Design

The holiday season is just around the corner, and at least in NYC's Times Square, that already includes Valentine's Day. Over the last eight years, Times Square has invited architects, designers, and artists to propose an interactive Valentine-themed heart installation for their annual Valentine Heart Design competition.

Collective-LOK was announced today as the 2016 competition winner with their entry, "Heart of Hearts". If their name sounds familiar, CLOK won Van Alen Institute's Ground/Work competition back in 2013.

Towering above 10 feet tall, Heart of Hearts is like a giant golden engagement ring that was dropped onto the grounds of Times Square. The pavilion will be unveiled on February 9, and remain on view through March 6 at Father Duffy Square between 46th and 47th Streets.

Read on for more.

"CLOK’s Heart of Hearts, a faceted ring of nine golden, mirrored hearts, will create an alternative pavilion that reflects and multiplies the pulsating activity of Times Square, creating a kaleidoscopic interior that dissolves the boundaries between viewing and performing. Within the ring, diamond-shaped spaces inside each heart will create 'kissing booths' where couples will find their activities mirrored, allowing both privacy and publicity in the Heart of Hearts. This room within the room of Times Square is the most site-specific Heart installation to date."

In a statement, Collective-LOK said, 'We are thrilled to create the Heart of Hearts for Valentine’s Day, an engagement ring for our love affair with the spectacle of Times Square. It’s truly a special opportunity to provide a space for intimacy and performance in the heart of the city, one we hope visitors will love.'

'The cacophony of Times Square is a tough place to celebrate the tender passion of Saint Valentine," said David Burney, the Interim Executive Director of the AIANY and Center for Architecture. 'But Collective–LOK has pulled it off with nine mirrored golden hearts that create a kaleidoscopic reflection of all who walk through them.'

Other invited finalists for the 2016 competition included: BANG Studio, Peterson Rich Office, Sage and Coombe Architects and SLAB Architecture PLC.

Also check out last year's winning design, HEARTBEAT.