Planning + Community
Photos: Leni Schwendinger
Photos: Leni Schwendinger
Urban Braids
Location
Newkirk Plaza, Brooklyn, NY
Client
Flatbush Development Corporation
Team
Leni Schwendinger Light Projects
Urban Braids is the newest addition to artist Leni Schwendinger’s “D.I.Y. Lighting” public space portfolio of dynamic, colorful braided light structures. Suspended on iron gates that edge Newkirk Plaza, the art installation spans the entire site. This unique approach employs community participation to innovate with everyday string lighting to create an interplay of safety and joyful experiences.
Urban Braids was commissioned by Flatbush Development Corporation. The location, a mall, which opened in 1913, is predominantly composed of mom-and-pop stores. The plaza consists of two parallel walkways, “open cut” and raised above a New York City subway station. The Q and B trains serve 2-million straphangers per year.
The project was funded by New York City’s Small Business Services grant as part of their Commercial District Lighting initiative for 15 NYC neighborhoods. The intent is to boost local businesses and foster community engagement by creating a vibrant, well-lit environment for shopping, strolling, and commuting.