MINI USA Press Release: MINI ROOFTOP NYC, a cultural event series bringing together high-profile performances, discussions and events, will take place in New York City from September 4th to September 13th 2008.

Hosted on a New York City rooftop by MINI and based on the automotive brand’s international campaign for the “Creative Use of Space,” the MINI ROOFTOP NYC initiative is intended to give a platform for artists and performers – established and emerging – to unfold their creativity. The MINI ROOFTOP NYC will be a place for artistic appreciation and collaboration. The venue will provide the public with collaborative facilities and exclusive events featuring icons of art, music, fashion, design, wellness, and more. Truly democratic in its design, much of the 10-day series will be open to the public, bringing together New York City’s creative crowd with thought leaders from various arenas.

The series will kick off on September 4th 2008 with a ‘big bang’ event, curated by international style publication, “Dazed and Confused”. Top band, MGMT are set to headline the evening with an exclusive one hour performance. They will be followed by DJs, Vito Roccoforte and Gabe Andruzzi from electronic indie band, The Rapture.

As part of the MINI ROOFTOP NYC community challenge, starting August 1st, DJs will have the opportunity to go to MINIspace.com and compete for the chance to perform for an hour at one of the evening events. In addition, there will be a competition, where people are invited to submit design proposals for the MINI Clubman Shuttles that will be transporting guests to and from the rooftop. The best proposals uploaded via MINIspace.com between August 7th and 29th 2008 will be printed on the roof tops of all the MINI Clubman shuttles.

MINI ROOFTOP NYC will provide visitors a wealth of amenities for relaxation and creativity including a lounge area, sun deck, art and photography studio space, free wifi access and much more. Architecturally, MINI ROOFTOP NYC is a fusion between the natural and artificial elements where an organic hill is suspended in an abstract architectural grid to create a jarring break with the typical landscape of the city. New York based architecture firm, HWKN, has been commissioned to design the space. The design is unique and features a collection of elements that punctuate the ubiquitous grid. These include a grassy lounging hill with seating dimples, a performance stage embedded in a large scale existing billboard, a lighting tower to cast light over the space and to act as a visual icon on the skyline, and a panorama bar overlooking the Hudson River.

High-profile contributors, performances and events will be released later this month. For more information visit www.MINIspace.com. For more information about MINI visit www.MINI.com.