Uniqlo Teams With HWKN and DS+R for High Line Rink

by Laurel Petriello | Monday, August 1, 2011

From balloons to a roller rink, section 2 of the High Line in Manhattan is a hot summer attraction this year. Last Friday, Uniqlo, who teamed with Hollwich Kushner (HWKN) and Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R) launched The High Line Rink – Made for All, complete with Uniqlo pop-up shop.

Located on The Lot, a temporary public space beneath the park at 30th Street and 10th Avenue, features include 8,000 square feet of skating and shopping enjoyment. Four simple, glowing cubes comprise the brand’s Chelsea pop-up digs, while the rink pattern forms a gridded background for the cubes to lock into location. The grid, symbolizing a snapshot of Manhattan’s urbanism, is distorted within the rink itself, imitating the vortex of the skater circling inside.

“The new roller skating rink and the two UNIQLO cubes are exciting ways to bring architecture into the lives of New Yorkers everywhere and activate the forgotten corners of the city,” said Marc Kushner, cofounder and partner of HWKN.

“The UNIQLO CUBES are an example what we at HWKN call Optimistic Architecture—the idea that everything we do as architects has the potential to enrich our society, including people, brands, and culture,” added Matthias Hollwich, cofounder and partner of HWKN.