Michael Yap, Allison Shaw
Each day, thousands of workers bicycle across the Williamsburg Bridge: a vital connection between the Lower East Side of Manhattan and Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood. The combination of trains roaring by, cage-like enclosure and steep incline makes for a harrowing and difficult ride for some bicyclists. How might we instill delight and wonder into the experience? Allison Shaw and Michael Yap initially developed and prototyped concepts in anticipation of the New York City Bike Share program, such as the installation of bicycle repair stations and a cafe along the bicycle path. A later concept—a reactive light display—was eventually refined over the course of the semester into a massive urban-scale interactive LED light installation.
