Highland Park celebrates Orkney with Orkadia installation
Single malt Scotch whisky brand Highland Park partnered with designer Lily Kwong and composer Gary Gunn to bring the Orkney landscape to New York.
Highland Park Orkadia transformed New York’s Grand Central Station to reflect the Orkney landscapeThe Orkney-based whisky brand took over Grand Central Station’s Vanderbilt Hall to celebrate the longest day of the year with its Orkadia installation.
The three-day installation celebrated the summer solstice, while paying homage to the Edrington-owned brand’s home on Orkney.
Kwong used moss, grasses and purple heather to bring the Orkney landscape to New York, and the piece also featured a 10 minute soundscape created by Gunn.
“Inspired by the epic landscapes of Orkney, this piece asks Grand Central’s hundreds of thousands of daily commuters to slow down and connect – with plant life, their surroundings, their greater community and themselves,” said Kwong.
“The 8,000 square feet of moss and 220 flowering heather plants, in the midst of one of the most iconic urban landmarks in the world, offer an opportunity to reflect on our environment and our role in shaping it.”
The installation coincided with the launch of The Light, Highland Park’s latest expression.
Highland Park’s Orkadia aimed to give New Yorkers a moment to slow down, enjoy a dram of whisky and experience the landscape of Orkney.
Once the installation concludes, all plants will be donated to Repeat Roses, an organisation that repurposes plants and gives them second and third lives.
