Big Screen Plaza – New York City, New York
The metal chairs shown in the image are the EMU Ronda Steel Stacking Armchair. Created by Aldo Ciabatti for the Italian brand EMU. Built from an e-coated tubular steel frame paired with a contoured expanded metal mesh seat and backrest, offering superior all-weather and rust resistance. Fully stackable up to several units high, making them incredibly popular for commercial settings, public plazas, and residential outdoor patios. The scene features an arrangement of four of these classic silver/grey mesh armchairs arranged alongside an organic, wavy wooden planter bench built around a central tree.
Big Screen Plaza, an outdoor public space located behind the Eventi Hotel in New York City. Situated on 30th Street, between 6th Avenue and 7th Avenue in Manhattan. The 10,000-square-foot multi-level public plaza features a sleek architectural design characterized by its glass-paneled wall, polished granite block benches, and neat rows of honey locust trees providing shade. It takes its name from a massive 30-foot outdoor LED screen used to broadcast art, live sports, and films to visitors relaxing in the plaza seating.
The new furniture introduced in this part of the plaza consists of aluminum slatted outdoor armchairs and matching metal pedestal base bistro tables. Lightweight, corrosion-resistant anodized aluminum, built specifically to withstand heavy outdoor public use and weather elements. Features a horizontally slatted style that facilitates quick water drainage during rain. Fully stackable with integrated tubular armrests, making them easy to rearrange, clear, or store for event maintenance within Big Screen Plaza.
The reflective pool feature shown in the lower-left foreground is part of the Big Screen Plaza water feature installation, specifically designed as a shallow reflecting pool that serves multiple purposes within the urban layout. The mirror-like black granite surface creates a symmetric reflection of the surrounding architecture, honey locust trees, and open sky, helping to open up the narrow urban corridor. The pool introduces moving water into the concrete landscape, helping mask midtown street noise while naturally cooling the immediate air temperature through evaporation during the warmer months. It creates a hard boundary separating the enclosed restaurant patio on the right from the public walkways and stone benches on the left.
The sign posted on the glass wall on the right marks this space as a New York City Privately Owned Public Space (POPS).: It features the official NYC POPS tree logo, indicating that while the property is privately managed by the hotel, it is legally required to remain open to the general public.
The large outdoor television screen shown mounted on the wall is the centerpiece of Big Screen Plaza. A massive, high-definition outdoor LED screen measuring 30 feet diagonally, mounted directly on the plaza’s western structural wall. It continuously broadcasts a curated mix of live sports events, independent films, digital art installations, and news updates. The surrounding courtyard, seating, and multi-tiered viewing platforms are specifically oriented toward this screen to allow the public to watch content for free in an open-air environment.
The restaurant pictured extending into the Big Screen Plaza is The Vine, an upscale lounge and restaurant operating within the Kimpton Hotel Eventi. The restaurant utilizes a massive overhead glass garage door that retracts completely during nice weather, opening the indoor dining room directly onto the public plaza. The interior features a warm, low-lit ambiance adorned with dramatic nautical rope art suspended from the ceiling. Under the direction of chef Laurent Tourondel, it functions as an all-day oasis serving a seasonal, Italian-inflected American menu alongside craft cocktails.