Hou de Sousa's “Ziggy” wins 2019 Flatiron Public Plaza Holiday Competition

Showing off shifting patterns of color and light, “Ziggy” by Hou de Sousa will create a bright, welcoming space for everyone visiting NYC's Flatiron District this holiday season. The playful installation was announced today as the winner of the Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership and Van Alen Institute's sixth Flatiron Public Plaza Holiday Competition, which invites locally based architects and designers to propose a fun, temporary installation in the heart of the Flatiron District.

Hou de Sousa was one of the five participants invited to the closed competition. The jury reviewed proposals by New Affiliates, Only If, Worrell Yeung, and Besler & Sons — who was runner-up with “Mini City Souvenir Plaza”.

“Ziggy” is a lightweight structure made of painted rebar and 27,000 feet of iridescent cord. Its winding form will dynamically filter its surroundings with vibrant patterns of color and light, and frame views of the Flatiron District. Plus, it'll provide seating for locals and visitors who want to take a break from the everyday hustle and bustle.

“Voluminous but ethereal, the structure allows wind to pass through unnoticed,” Hou de Sousa explains. “The dense pattern of cord that defines its form serves as a colorful static background, but in moving around and through the project, the 30-inch-thick wall transforms into a dynamic filter that kaleidoscopically mixes hues and visually tints the surrounding context.”

“Ziggy is a polyvalent creature that strings together gateways, apertures, and seating,” said Josh de Sousa, principal and co-founder of Hou de Sousa. “This porous wall will welcome folks arriving from all directions while ringing in the holiday season with a flourish of color and light.”

Starting November 18, “Ziggy” will be on display every day at the Flatiron North Public Plaza — located at Broadway, Fifth Avenue, and 23rd Street — through January 1, 2020. The installation will also be a centerpiece for the Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership's “23 Days of Flatiron Cheer” events during the holidays.

Other competition-winning designs Hou de Sousa has built in recent years include the “Sticks” pavilion for Folly 2016 and their Re-Ball! installation.

Get a glimpse of the runner-up and finalist proposals in the gallery below.

2019 Jury:
Nicholas Athanail, The Corcoran Group and Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership board member
Benjamin Cadena, Founder, Studio Cadena
Britt Cobb, Associate Partner, Pentagram
Ahmed ElHusseiny, Founder, AE Superlab
Jessica Lax, Director of Strategic Initiatives, Van Alen Institute
Quardean Lewis-Allen, Founder/CEO, Made in Brownsville
Aleksey Lukyanov-Cherny, Partner, SITU
Nina Marren, Art Project Manager, NYC Department of Transportation
James Mettham, Executive Director, Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership
Robin Ried, Senior Manager, Urban Planning, Bloomberg Associates and Van Alen Institute board member