On April 24, Rothy’s, HOPE Hydration, and artist Willie Cole will transform Flatiron Plaza into a live public art installation built from 2,500 donated plastic water bottles, assembled by New Yorkers over a single day.
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The numbers tell the story. Americans throw away 60 million plastic bottles every day, nearly 700 every second. The 2,500 bottles in Cole’s sculpture would be gone from the waste stream in under 4 seconds. The sculpture takes a full day to build.
Cole is no stranger to that gap between the scale of the problem and the scale of a single gesture. For decades, the New Jersey-based artist has transformed discarded everyday objects into works that reframe what we throw away as something worth looking at. His large-scale bottle sculptures have been commissioned for the home of musician Jon Batiste, exhibited at the Newark Museum of Art, and installed across the country. His work is held in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Whitney Museum of American Art. Collaborations with Comme des Garçons, Tod’s, and Yamaha have placed him at the center of a conversation about art, design, and the second life of materials.
That conversation is one Rothy’s has been having with Cole for some time. The brand has previously commissioned two of his works, one of which is permanently installed in its Williamsburg store. April 24 is not the beginning of their relationship. It is the moment it steps outside.
“I don’t look for objects,” Cole has said of his practice. “The objects come to me.” For this installation, they come from the public. Anyone who donates a single-use bottle at Flatiron Plaza will receive a reusable one in return, and will leave having contributed to a work that may outlast the day. Rothy’s and Willie Cole are actively exploring donating the finished sculpture to a New York institution. A work built by the public, for the public.
For Rothy’s, a brand that has kept more than 225 million single-use plastic bottles out of landfills through its proprietary knit-to-shape process, none of this is a departure. It is the founding story told at a different scale, in public, by an artist who arrived at the same materials by an entirely different path.
“Willie Cole has spent decades proving that what we throw away is worth a second look,” said Anna Doré, Rothy’s VP of Brand and Communications. “Rothy’s was built on the same conviction. We’ve been lucky enough to see his work up close, and we wanted to invite the city to see it too.”
The installation will be on view at Flatiron Plaza from 9am to 5pm on April 24. Free and open to the public, the event is anchored by a pop-up water refill station brought to you by HOPE Hydration, a continued sustainability partner of Rothy’s, whose smart, brand-sponsored HydroStations™ dispense free, chilled water, making clean hydration more accessible and sustainable for all. Building on their partnership with Rothy’s Plastic Pause initiative last summer, HOPE Hydration will be on-site to fill reusable bottles and track real-time sustainability stats – including refills, plastic bottles saved, C02 diverted, and more.
In-store programming continues at Rothy’s Fifth Avenue and Williamsburg locations, where Cole’s commissioned work is on permanent view.
Event Details
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Date |
Friday, April 24, 2026 |
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Time |
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Build out with Willie Cole from 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM) |
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Location |
Flatiron Plaza, Broadway & 23rd Street, New York, NY |
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Admission |
Free and open to the public |
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Participation |
Bring a single-use plastic bottle. Receive a reusable one. Help build the sculpture. |
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In-Store |
Rothy’s Fifth Avenue and Rothy’s Williamsburg (Willie Cole works on permanent view) |
About Willie Cole
Willie Cole (b. 1955, Somerville, NJ) is a contemporary American sculptor, printmaker, and perceptual engineer whose work transforms discarded everyday objects into works that reframe consumer materials as cultural artifacts. His work is held in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art, New York, as well as the Whitney Museum, the National Gallery of Art, and dozens of other institutions. He has collaborated with Comme des Garçons, Tod’s, and Yamaha, and has exhibited at the Salone del Mobile, Art Basel Miami Beach, the Bronx Museum of the Arts, the Newark Museum of Art, and the Country Music Hall of Fame. Rothy’s has commissioned two works by Cole; one is permanently installed in the Rothy’s Williamsburg store. He lives and works in New Jersey.
About Rothy’s
Rothy’s is a design-driven footwear and accessories brand built on the belief that beautiful design and material responsibility are not in conflict. Using a proprietary knit-to-shape process and a commitment to recycled and sustainable materials, including thread made from recycled plastic bottles, Rothy’s creates shoes and accessories with virtually zero manufacturing waste. Launched in San Francisco in 2016, the brand operates more than 35 retail locations across the US. rothys.com
About HOPE Hydration
HOPE Hydration is an award-winning Certified B Corporation revolutionizing how people access clean drinking water in urban environments, with a mission to make clean water more accessible and reduce single-use plastic waste. From Coachella to Times Square, HOPE Hydration is replacing bottled water with smart, ad-powered fountains and since launch, has provided more than 4.4 million refills nationwide and has partnered with some of the world’s most notable brands and events, as well as international airports, stadiums, and city centers. HOPE Hydration’s innovative approach and impact has earned widespread recognition, including being named to TIME’s Best Inventions list, Inc.’s Best in Business list, and Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies list.
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