Love Song by Ron Arad

CityCenterDC to “Fall in Love” with Striking New Installation
by Internationally Acclaimed Artist and Designer Ron Arad this Fall

The unveiling of LOVE SONG sets the stage for Arad’s forthcoming ‘Gateway,’ coming in Spring 2027, with October jazz series

WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 2026) – This fall, CityCenterDC invites Washington to Fall in Love with the unveiling of LOVE SONG, a striking installation by internationally acclaimed artist, designer and architect Ron Arad. Stretching across two 52-foot-wide canvases at the future site of a new permanent Gateway designed by Arad, the artwork transforms an active construction site into a larger-than-life public art experience—and offers a first glimpse at what is to come when the new Gateway is revealed in spring 2027.

At the heart of LOVE SONG is a visual discovery characteristic of Arad’s playful approach to language and form: LOVE, reflected and reimagined, becomes SONG. Through fluid lines and shifting perspective, what first appears to be one word reveals another.

At CityCenterDC, that idea takes on a dramatic scale. Two canvases, each measuring 52 feet wide by 26 feet tall, wrap opposite faces of the future Gateway, with one presenting LOVE and the other its reflected counterpart, SONG. The sweeping lines of the installation also offer a subtle introduction to the sculptural language of the permanent work being created behind them.

In conjunction with LOVE SONG, CityCenterDC will host a season of programming inspired by the intersection of art, music and connection.

The Love Song Jazz Series will bring live music to The Plaza every Friday in October from 5–8 p.m., giving the artwork a soundtrack as local musicians reinterpret love songs across generations. All performances are free and open to the public. 

“Public art has always been integral to the experience of CityCenterDC, and LOVE SONG allows us to transform even a period of construction into an opportunity for creativity and connection,” said Timothy Lowery, Managing Director – Retail and Mixed-Use at Hines. “Ron Arad has spent his career encouraging people to see familiar objects and ideas from a new perspective. This fall, we’re inviting Washington to do the same—to experience his work, gather together through music and culture, and get an exciting first look at what is still to come.”

Washingtonians will also be invited to become part of the project. Throughout the campaign, couples, friends, families and unexpected duos will answer one question: What is your favorite love song? Their selections and stories will be shared across CityCenterDC’s social channels and incorporated into a community-inspired LOVE SONG Spotify playlist.

A First Look at What’s Next

LOVE SONG is both a standalone work of art and an introduction to a larger transformation underway at CityCenterDC.

Arad has revisited the Love Song concept throughout his career, exploring the relationship between the two words through sculpture, furniture and graphic art. Using materials ranging from mirror-polished metal to marble, he has continually reimagined the idea through changes in scale, surface and context.

At CityCenterDC, the installation will remain on view through early 2027, as work continues behind it on Arad’s permanent Gateway. Set to be unveiled in spring 2027, the new work will introduce another major piece of public art to the downtown destination.

The commission builds on CityCenterDC’s ongoing investment in bringing museum-caliber art into the public realm. Recent installations include Vietnamese American artist Tung Nguyen’s Urban Living Rooms, selected from more than 100 submissions to CityCenterDC’s national 250 Years of American Style competition, and internationally acclaimed artists Gillie and Marc’s Wild Race Against Time, which transformed the property with larger-than-life sculptures highlighting endangered wildlife.

About Ron Arad

For more than four decades, Ron Arad has been one of the most influential figures at the intersection of art, architecture and design, known for transforming familiar materials and forms into unexpected works that blur the boundaries between sculpture, furniture and the built environment.

In Washington, Arad is perhaps best known for his work on The Watergate Hotel, where he was commissioned to redesign the landmark’s public spaces as part of its transformation ahead of its 2016 reopening. His work encompassed the lobby, bar and dining venues, terraces and other public areas, as well as custom furniture, signage, typography and the hotel’s broader visual identity.

Internationally, Arad’s instantly recognizable work ranges from his breakthrough Rover Chair and iconic Big Easy chair to major architectural projects including Design Museum Holon in Israel. His designs have been produced by leading international brands including Kartell, Vitra, Moroso and Alessi, while his work has been celebrated through major exhibitions at The Museum of Modern Art in New York, Centre Pompidou in Paris and the Barbican in London. In 2013, he was elected a Royal Academician by London’s Royal Academy of Arts.

Born in Tel Aviv and educated at London’s Architectural Association, Arad founded the design and production studio One Off in 1981 and later established Ron Arad Associates and Ron Arad Architects. Across disciplines and scales, his work is united by experimentation and an ability to transform the familiar into something unexpected.

At CityCenterDC this fall, that spirit begins with LOVE SONG. What comes next will be revealed in spring 2027.

LOVE SONG will be on view at CityCenterDC through February 2027. For more information and updates on CityCenterDC programming, retailers and restaurants, please visit CityCenterDC.com and follow @CityCenterDC on social.

ABOUT CITYCENTERDC

CITYCENTERDC (CityCenterDC.com) is a unique, pedestrian-friendly, 10-acre mixed-use development located in the heart of downtown Washington, D.C. Developed by Hines and Qatari Diar, the project is home to more than 221,000 square feet of retail space, 520,000 square feet of prime office space, 458 rental apartment units and 216 condominium units, a 360-room hotel, a 1,550-space parking garage, a public park, a central plaza, and pedestrian-oriented streets and alleyways.

ABOUT CITYCENTERDC

CITYCENTERDC is a unique, pedestrian-friendly, 10-acre mixed-use development located in the heart of downtown Washington, D.C. Developed by Hines and Qatari Diar, the project is home to more than 221,000 square feet of retail space, 520,000 square feet of prime office space, 458 rental apartment units and 216 condominium units, a 360 room hotel, a 1,550-space parking garage, a public park, a central plaza, and pedestrian-oriented streets and alleyways.