MODU + Eric Forman Studio's dazzling “Heart Squared” arrives in Times Square

After winning the 2020 edition of the Times Square Valentine Heart Competition, MODU + Eric Forman Studio's “Heart Squared” was unveiled at Father Duffy Square in New York yesterday morning. The installation is the design team's playful interpretation of the “collective heart of the city” and is a dazzling invitation to visitors and locals to gather and interact.

The installation has 125 reflective mirrors that are tilted in different directions within a cubic steel latticed frame that is shaped in the outline of a heart. Each mirror creates kaleidoscopic images of the people, buildings, the changing sky throughout the day and night, and the bright billboards of Times Square.

The position of each mirror may seem random, however the designers developed a technique to calculate the specific angles of each mirror, which coalesce to reveal a pixelated heart of city life. The heart-shaped outline is only visible from one specific location, which allows people to experience it at once, MODU explains. “Heart Squared brings people together to discover the heart within a heart that reflects anyone and everyone who engages with it.”

“Heart Squared” is on display through the month of February. Don't forget to check out videos of the installation below!