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  1. On View: Interwoven by Atelier Cho Thompson

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    Flatiron Partnership and Van Alen Institute Unveil Winner of 8th Annual Flatiron Public Plaza Holiday Design Competition:

    Interwoven by Atelier Cho Thompson

    View photographs of Interwoven.

    For questions or interview requests, email press@vanalen.org.

    (New York City—November 24, 2021) — On Monday, November 22, the Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership and Van Alen Institute unveiled the winner of the eighth annual Flatiron Public Plaza Holiday Design Competition: Interwoven, an interactive installation by design firm Atelier Cho Thompson. Interwoven is on view through January 2, 2022 in the Flatiron North Public Plaza on Broadway, Fifth Avenue, and 23rd Street, creating a highly visible landmark in the heart of Manhattan throughout the holidays.

    Since 2014, this annual competition has brought people together in public space through innovative design installations. Now, at the end of another year marked by isolation, the Flatiron Partnership and Van Alen Institute seek to strengthen community bonds with Interwoven. Inspired by New York’s tapestry of cultures and people, Interwoven celebrates the joys of reconnecting in public space. Its interactive archways are activated by color-coded sensors; when two or more people pass through sensors of the same color, Interwoven responds with corresponding lights and musical compositions by local artists inspired by the installation’s themes.

    The installation’s interactive story wall, made of backlit papers hung on a grid, invites visitors to share responses to the prompt: “I dream of a world where together we can…” The resulting narratives will become a patchwork of voices documenting this challenging yet hopeful moment. The prompt was selected by Youth Fellows from the People’s Bus NYC, a community-led, intergenerational initiative focused on engaging people in New York City’s civic life through beauty and joy.

    “One of our key tenets as a firm is that we can build community around design,” said Ming Thompson and Christina Cho Yoo, Co-Founders of Atelier Cho Thompson. “Interwoven highlights our fundamental desires to connect with each other through shared experiences and to celebrate our differences. Interwoven offers a platform for stories and dreams of our future.”

    “Located at one of New York City’s most iconic intersections, the Flatiron North Plaza is the perfect setting for Interwoven, an installation that provides a powerful, yet playful reminder that human interaction is essential,” said James Mettham, Executive Director of the Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership. “As we welcome New Yorkers and visitors to explore Interwoven this holiday season, we are proud to once again collaborate with Van Alen Institute on our tradition of presenting thought-provoking public art in Flatiron.”

    Interwoven‘s playful design unites us through joy,” said Deborah Marton, Executive Director of Van Alen Institute. “As part of Van Alen’s Public Realm R&D initiative — which celebrates the serendipity of connection and power of shared stories — we’re honored to collaborate again with the Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership to test new ways to bring people together in one of NYC’s most iconic public spaces.”

    Inspired by the dynamic geometry of intersections that form the Flatiron Building, Interwoven’s archways, hammock, and benches are constructed with a steel framing, netting, resin panels, and high-density cork. As a firm committed to sustainable design, Atelier Cho Thompson carefully selected Interwoven’s materials including its rapidly renewable cork and steel, a material made of mostly recycled content.

    The project team includes in-kind sponsors MHA Engineering, Lam Partners, Indistinguishable from Magic, Hunter Douglas and 3form, LLI Architectural Lighting, EcoSupply, Fusion Optix, and Cadwell Signs. Grant funding was made possible by Stand with Asian Americans / Asian Pacific Fund and an anonymous donor. Fabrication and site installation will be completed by Smart Department Fabrication, Inc. After debuting Interwoven on the Flatiron North Public Plaza, the firm will partner with community organizations in New Haven, CT to bring the installation to a local public park.

    Since its inception, the Flatiron Public Plaza Holiday Design Competition has been a platform for the Partnership and Van Alen Institute to deepen their connections with emerging designers, bring people together, and support inventive visions for an iconic urban plaza. Atelier Cho Thompson was selected by the Partnership and Van Alen Institute from a shortlist of three firms, each recommended by design experts in Van Alen’s network. The other shortlisted firms were AD-WO and Isometric Studio.

    Nominations for the shortlisted firms were provided by Nina Cooke John, Founder and Principal of Studio Cooke John; Justin Garrett Moore, Program Officer, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation; Mark Gardner, Principal, Jaklitsch/Gardner Architects; and Ashley Mendelsohn, Architecture Curator and Educator.

    The installation is presented in partnership with the New York City Department of Transportation’s Temporary Art Program and will be open to the public daily, weather permitting. The Partnership is encouraging visitors to use #InterwovenFlatiron on Twitter and Instagram to share images of the installation.

    About the Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership

    The Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership, formed in 2006, is a nonprofit organization and Business Improvement District whose mission is to enhance the reputation of Flatiron and NoMad as two of New York’s most vital and exciting neighborhoods. This is accomplished by maintaining a clean and safe environment for the district’s businesses, residents and visitors; by spearheading area improvement projects; and by marketing the diverse business and retail options in this vibrant and historic neighborhood.

    FlatironDistrict.nyc
    info@flatirondistrict.nyc
    Facebook, Instagram, Twitter: @FlatironNY

    About Van Alen Institute

    Van Alen Institute helps create equitable cities through inclusive design. In an equitable city, communities are engaged in the conception and creation of their built environment, regardless of income or personal circumstances. Community-driven decision-making builds resilience, social infrastructure, and ultimately, more just cities.

    For 127 years, our purposeful community engagement, convening capacity, and global network have produced profound transformations in the public realm of New York City and beyond. With an interdisciplinary approach to design, the Van Alen team has backgrounds in architecture, arts and culture, civic advocacy, community engagement, preservation, and public policy.

    vanalen.org
    Instagram, Twitter: @van_alen
    Facebook: @vanaleninstitute

    About the NYC DOT Art Program

    The New York City Department of Transportation’s Art Program (DOT Art) partners with community-based, nonprofit organizations and professional artists to present temporary public art on NYC DOT property throughout the five boroughs for up to eleven months. Artists transform streets with colorful murals, dynamic projections and eye-catching sculptures. Sidewalks, fences, triangles, medians, bridges, jersey barriers, step streets, public plazas and pedestrianized spaces serve as canvases and foundations for temporary art. Over the past 12 years, DOT Art has produced over 300 temporary artworks citywide.

    nyc.gov/dotart
    Instagram: @nyc_DOTArt
    Facebook: @NYCDOT
    Twitter: @nyc_DOT

    About Atelier Cho Thompson

    Atelier Cho Thompson is a bi-coastal design and concept firm, working between the disciplines of architecture, interiors, graphics and design strategy. Founded seven years ago by Ming Thompson and Christina Cho Yoo, the firm has embarked on a number of ambitious goals: to design beautiful and functional projects around the globe, to deeply engage our community around design, to promote equity in architecture and beyond. For more information, visit chothompson.com.

  2. Neighborhoods Now: Bed-Stuy Winter Wonderland 2.0

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    Bed-Stuy Gateway BID, Neighborhoods Now, and Wells Fargo Present Winter Wonderland 2.0, A Holiday Experience

    (November 19, 2021—Brooklyn, NY) — Following its success last holiday season, the Bed-Stuy Gateway Business Improvement District (BID) is bringing Winter Wonderland 2.0 to the village of Bedford-Stuyvesant. An open-air holiday market supporting local Bed-Stuy small businesses, Winter Wonderland 2.0 is a collaboration between the Bed-Stuy Gateway BID; the Neighborhoods Now program organized by Van Alen Institute and the Urban Design Forum; and Wells Fargo’s “Hope, USA” initiative. The effort is being supported by Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation.

    In celebration of Small Business Saturday, this family-friendly, fresh air affair launches on Saturday, November 27 with a ribbon cutting at Restoration West Plaza, 1368 Fulton Street, Brooklyn, NY. Winter Wonderland 2.0 operates from 11 am to 6 pm every weekend between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

    “We are truly thankful to Neighborhoods Now and Wells Fargo for providing a safe, sound space for our merchants and community to come together to shop, explore, and celebrate the holiday season,” said Lynette Battle, Deputy Director, Bed-Stuy Gateway BID.

    “With this generous support from Wells Fargo, the Bed-Stuy Gateway BID brings its beautiful and strategic vision for community gathering to life,” said Deborah Marton, Executive Director, Van Alen Institute. “Small business health and community wellbeing are one and the same, especially in a community like Bed-Stuy where most local business owners live right here.”

    “We can’t wait to be back in Bed-Stuy to shop and spend time with family and friends at Winter Wonderland 2.0,” said Daniel McPhee, Executive Director, Urban Design Forum. “New York’s small businesses need our support more than ever this year, so we’re glad to partner with Bed-Stuy Gateway BID and Wells Fargo to bring the holiday market back and make it better than ever.”

    “Small businesses have been through so much over the past two years due to the pandemic and other hardships,” said Krissy Moore, Senior Vice President, Northeast Community Relations for Wells Fargo. “That’s why this holiday season – and year-round – Wells Fargo is involved in initiatives that support and provide hope to business owners to assist them during these difficult times. The additional funding for Winter Wonderland will provide local residents with the opportunity to shop local from businesses in the Bed-Stuy neighborhood.”

    This holiday season, through its “Hope, USA” campaign, Wells Fargo is beautifying business districts in 16 cities across the country, including Brooklyn, and encouraging everyone to join in giving hope a hand by supporting small businesses and shopping locally this holiday season. In Bed-Stuy, the “Hope, USA” support will allow Winter Wonderland 2.0 to double vendor space from last year, create an outdoor dining experience, and provide a safe staging area for families to meet, greet, and take photos with Santa.

    Wells Fargo volunteers will help to prepare Restoration Plaza and Marcy Plaza for the Winter Wonderland 2.0 by participating in graffiti removal and engaging in some holiday beautification efforts. Architecture firm Moody Nolan created this updated design of Winter Wonderland 2.0; Moody Nolan has been collaborating with the Bed-Stuy Gateway BID since last year as part of Neighborhoods Now.

    “Not only are we able to bring a world-class holiday tradition to our community,” said Dale Charles, Bed-Stuy Gateway BID’s new Executive Director. “Merchants within our business corridor are getting the support they need to build back better.”

    This moment also highlights Wells Fargo’s commitment to Neighborhoods Now. Launched in May 2020 by the Urban Design Forum and Van Alen Institute, Neighborhoods Now partners with local organizations leading their communities’ recovery by building coalitions of architects, designers, and engineers. With a grant from Wells Fargo’s Open for Business Fund, Neighborhoods Now will continue throughout 2022 in Bed-Stuy, Chinatown, Jackson Heights, Kingsbridge, the Lower East Side, and Washington Heights.

    About the Bed-Stuy Gateway BID

    Centrally located in Brooklyn, the Bed-Stuy Gateway BID has proudly stood as one of the borough’s most prominent commercial and cultural focal points. Since 2009, the agency has partnered with local neighbors, and stakeholders to enrich its community through economic development while promoting its rich history of cultural diversity. Through a wide array of programs and services, the Bed-Stuy Gateway BID is committed to seeing the community thrive and blossom into the popular destination for all things Brooklyn.

    About Neighborhoods Now

    A collaboration between the Urban Design Forum and Van Alen Institute, Neighborhoods Now connects New York City neighborhoods hard-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic with design firms in our collective network. Since May 2020, Neighborhoods Now has mobilized more than 85 firms to support hundreds of restaurants, small businesses, and cultural organizations across New York. Nearly all of the initiative’s neighborhood-based teams continue to collaborate and are advancing plans for recovery on a wider community scale. For more information, visit vanalen.org and urbandesignforum.org.

    About Wells Fargo

    Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a leading financial services company that has approximately $1.9 trillion in assets, proudly serves one in three U.S. households and more than 10% of small businesses in the U.S., and is the leading middle market banking provider in the U.S. We provide a diversified set of banking, investment and mortgage products and services, as well as consumer and commercial finance, through our four reportable operating segments: Consumer Banking and Lending, Commercial Banking, Corporate and Investment Banking, and Wealth & Investment Management. Wells Fargo ranked No. 37 on Fortune’s 2021 rankings of America’s largest corporations. In the communities we serve, the company focuses its social impact on building a sustainable, inclusive future for all by supporting housing affordability, small business growth, financial health, and a low-carbon economy. News, insights, and perspectives from Wells Fargo are also available at Wells Fargo Stories. Additional information may be found at www.wellsfargo.com | Twitter: @WellsFargo.

    Press Contacts

    Bed-Stuy Gateway BID: Keith Forest, keithlforest@gmail.com
    Urban Design Forum: Janrey Serapio, janrey@urbandesignforum.org
    Van Alen Institute: Alisha Kim Levin, press@vanalen.org
    Wells Fargo: Kevin Friedlander, Kevin.Friedlander@wellsfargo.com

  3. Flatiron 2021: Interwoven by Atelier Cho Thompson

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    Flatiron Partnership and Van Alen Institute Unveil Winner of 8th Annual Flatiron Public Plaza Holiday Design Competition:

    Interwoven by Atelier Cho Thompson

    View renderings of Interwoven and shortlisted proposals.

    For questions or interview requests, email press@vanalen.org.

    (New York City—October 27, 2021) — The Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership and Van Alen Institute today unveiled the winner of the eighth annual Flatiron Public Plaza Holiday Design Competition: Interwoven, an interactive installation by design firm Atelier Cho Thompson. Interwoven will be on view November 22, 2021–January 2, 2022 in the Flatiron North Public Plaza on Broadway, Fifth Avenue, and 23rd Street, creating a highly visible landmark in the heart of Manhattan throughout the holidays.

    Since 2014, this annual competition has brought people together in public space through innovative design installations. Now, at the end of another year marked by isolation, the Flatiron Partnership and Van Alen Institute seek to strengthen community bonds with Interwoven. Inspired by New York’s tapestry of cultures and people, Interwoven celebrates the joys of reconnecting in public space. Its interactive archways are activated by color-coded sensors; when two or more people pass through sensors of the same color, Interwoven responds with corresponding lights and musical compositions by local artists inspired by the installation’s themes.

    The installation’s interactive story wall, made of backlit papers hung on a grid, invites visitors to share responses to the prompt: “I dream of a world where together we can…” The resulting narratives will become a patchwork of voices documenting this challenging yet hopeful moment. The prompt was selected by Youth Fellows from the People’s Bus NYC, a community-led, intergenerational initiative focused on engaging people in New York City’s civic life through beauty and joy.

    “One of our key tenets as a firm is that we can build community around design,” said Ming Thompson and Christina Cho Yoo, Co-Founders of Atelier Cho Thompson. “Interwoven highlights our fundamental desires to connect with each other through shared experiences and to celebrate our differences. Interwoven offers a platform for stories and dreams of our future.”

    “Located at one of New York City’s most iconic intersections, the Flatiron North Plaza is the perfect setting for Interwoven, an installation that provides a powerful, yet playful reminder that human interaction is essential,” said James Mettham, Executive Director of the Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership. “As we welcome New Yorkers and visitors to explore Interwoven this holiday season, we are proud to once again collaborate with Van Alen Institute on our tradition of presenting thought-provoking public art in Flatiron.”

    Interwoven‘s playful design unites us through joy,” said Deborah Marton, Executive Director of Van Alen Institute. “As part of Van Alen’s Public Realm R&D initiative — which celebrates the serendipity of connection and power of shared stories — we’re honored to collaborate again with the Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership to test new ways to bring people together in one of NYC’s most iconic public spaces.”

    Inspired by the dynamic geometry of intersections that form the Flatiron Building, Interwoven’s archways, hammock, and benches are constructed with a steel framing, netting, resin panels, and high-density cork. As a firm committed to sustainable design, Atelier Cho Thompson carefully selected Interwoven’s materials including its rapidly renewable cork and steel, a material made of mostly recycled content.

    The project team includes in-kind sponsors MHA Engineering, Lam Partners, Indistinguishable from Magic, Hunter Douglas and 3form, LLI Architectural Lighting, EcoSupply, Fusion Optix, and Cadwell Signs. Grant funding was made possible by Stand with Asian Americans / Asian Pacific Fund and an anonymous donor. Fabrication and site installation will be completed by Smart Department Fabrication, Inc. After debuting Interwoven on the Flatiron North Public Plaza, the firm will partner with community organizations in New Haven, CT to bring the installation to a local public park.

    Since its inception, the Flatiron Public Plaza Holiday Design Competition has been a platform for the Partnership and Van Alen Institute to deepen their connections with emerging designers, bring people together, and support inventive visions for an iconic urban plaza. Atelier Cho Thompson was selected by the Partnership and Van Alen Institute from a shortlist of three firms, each recommended by design experts in Van Alen’s network. The other shortlisted firms were AD-WO and Isometric Studio.

    Nominations for the shortlisted firms were provided by Nina Cooke John, Founder and Principal of Studio Cooke John; Justin Garrett Moore, Program Officer, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation; Mark Gardner, Principal, Jaklitsch/Gardner Architects; and Ashley Mendelsohn, Architecture Curator and Educator.

    The installation is presented in partnership with the New York City Department of Transportation’s Temporary Art Program and will be open to the public daily, weather permitting. The Partnership is encouraging visitors to use #InterwovenFlatiron on Twitter and Instagram to share images of the installation.

    About the Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership

    The Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership, formed in 2006, is a nonprofit organization and Business Improvement District whose mission is to enhance the reputation of Flatiron and NoMad as two of New York’s most vital and exciting neighborhoods. This is accomplished by maintaining a clean and safe environment for the district’s businesses, residents and visitors; by spearheading area improvement projects; and by marketing the diverse business and retail options in this vibrant and historic neighborhood.

    FlatironDistrict.nyc
    info@flatirondistrict.nyc
    Facebook, Instagram, Twitter: @FlatironNY

    About Van Alen Institute

    Van Alen Institute helps create equitable cities through inclusive design. In an equitable city, communities are engaged in the conception and creation of their built environment, regardless of income or personal circumstances. Community-driven decision-making builds resilience, social infrastructure, and ultimately, more just cities.

    For 127 years, our purposeful community engagement, convening capacity, and global network have produced profound transformations in the public realm of New York City and beyond. With an interdisciplinary approach to design, the Van Alen team has backgrounds in architecture, arts and culture, civic advocacy, community engagement, preservation, and public policy.

    vanalen.org
    Instagram, Twitter: @van_alen
    Facebook: @vanaleninstitute

    About the NYC DOT Art Program

    The New York City Department of Transportation’s Art Program (DOT Art) partners with community-based, nonprofit organizations and professional artists to present temporary public art on NYC DOT property throughout the five boroughs for up to eleven months. Artists transform streets with colorful murals, dynamic projections and eye-catching sculptures. Sidewalks, fences, triangles, medians, bridges, jersey barriers, step streets, public plazas and pedestrianized spaces serve as canvases and foundations for temporary art. Over the past 12 years, DOT Art has produced over 300 temporary artworks citywide.

    nyc.gov/dotart
    Instagram: @nyc_DOTArt
    Facebook: @NYCDOT
    Twitter: @nyc_DOT

    About Atelier Cho Thompson

    Atelier Cho Thompson is a bi-coastal design and concept firm, working between the disciplines of architecture, interiors, graphics and design strategy. Founded seven years ago by Ming Thompson and Christina Cho Yoo, the firm has embarked on a number of ambitious goals: to design beautiful and functional projects around the globe, to deeply engage our community around design, to promote equity in architecture and beyond. For more information, visit chothompson.com.