From the Battle of Helms Deep to Times Square

8 May 2017

From the Battle of Helms Deep to Times Square, Wellingtonian takes on New York City

Over one million interlocked rings made from Kaynemaile’s innovative and seamless architectural mesh are to be installed in New York City’s Times Square as a centrepiece of the 2017 NYCxDESIGN festival, May 18-22.

Kaynemaile was invented by former Weta Workshop Artistic Director Kayne Horsham in 2002, following his experience working with chainmail costumes on the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Kayne invented and patented the world’s first liquid state assembly process to create lightweight interlocked mesh rings that look exactly like chainmail, and are featuring in high-profile design projects across the world.

The installation, called #WAVENEWYORK, is a collaboration between Kaynemaile and American kinetic sculptor Ned Khan, who are also working together on a series of large-scale permanent installations to be unveiled mid-year in high profile locations in New York.

“New York is a global capital of innovation and creativity, and a leader in worldwide design. We are thrilled to be selected to collaborate as part of NYCxDESIGN,” says Kayne.

NYCxDESIGN is New York City’s official citywide celebration of design that runs from 3-24 May across the five boroughs of New York City, and brings together architecture, technology, urban design, graphic design, fashion and furniture.

Kaynemaile’s walk-through experiential cube installation in the shape of blue waves will be situated in the pedestrian-friendly plaza of Times Square, which typically welcomes foot traffic in excess of 300,000 people each day.

“We’re very fortunate to have the opportunity to bring to life complex and eye-catching installations both at home in New Zealand, and much further abroad,” says Kayne.

“It’s inspired to see our unique interior and exterior ‘wraps’ gracing the world at airports, hotels, shopping malls and business headquarters, and now Times Square, one of the most iconic public spaces in the world.”

Since launching the company in 2007, Kaynemaile has been a fixture in projects for the University of Auckland, Pacific Fair Shopping Centre on the Gold Coast, Nokia’s Headquarters in London, the MGM Grand Detroit Casino, and Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Medina, Saudi Arabia.

“#WAVENEWYORK by Kaynemaile will be a highly visible and vibrant focus of the Times Square Design Pavilion,” says Ilene Shaw, director and curator of NYCxDESIGN.

“The material is beautiful, the installation design is playful and interactive, and the concept has pure innovation at its core. It’s an honour to have Kaynemaile at Design Pavilion 2017.”

ENDS

© Scoop Media