Autumn is upon us, and so New Yorkers in the architecture and design professions will begin a month-long celebration of architecture, filled with hundreds of events, tours, activities and exhibitions spread across the five boroughs of New York City.
In its eighth year, the Archtober festival has taken over the month of October to gather together A&D leaders and newcomers – and everyone in between – to participate in experiences that show the very best of what’s possible through exceptional architecture and design.
Hosted and organized by the Center for Architecture and more than 60 partners across the five boroughs, the events include building tours and lectures by design experts, architecture-themed competitions and parties. We spoke with Benjamin Prosky, Executive Director of AIA New York and the Center for Architecture, to get the scoop on this year’s festival.
“When it started, there was a desire to create a festival in New York City that was focused on architecture,” said Mr. Prosky. “There are quite a few design-related shows and festivals in New York – NYCxDESIGN, held in May, includes architecture but is really design at large. We wanted to create something more specifically concentrated solely on celebrating architecture.”
“Archtober is designed to be very public-facing. We want the general public – anyone who is interested – to be welcomed into our field and to have opportunities to learn and see what’s going on and attend some really unique experiences. It’s also a time for groups that aren’t focused on architecture but want to do something related to it, to work with us to organize something special for their community.”
In addition to official Archtober events, mark your calendar for New York City’s Open House New York Weekend, October 12 – 14. That weekend, the city’s buildings open their doors to the public to experience unparalleled access to the best examples of design and planning throughout the five boroughs, from historic to contemporary, and to the people who help design, build and preserve the city.
We browsed through the Archtober calendar to find the best events to grab spots at. The following list is just a fraction of what’s available – head towww.archtober.comto look through the entire calendar.
Archtober’s Opening Night
>October 1: Opening night for the exhibition “Close to the Edge: The Birth of Hip-Hop Architecture”.6-8pm, Center for Architecture, 536 LaGuardia Pl, New York, NY 10012
Archtober is officially launched with the opening night of a new exhibition on Hip-Hop Architecture. In addition to the exhibition itself, a hip-hop dance party will go down from 8 – 10pm, and attendees will also hear from many of the Archtober partners about their events.
“Hip-hop is a cultural movement established by the Black and Latino youth of New York’s South Bronx neighborhood in the early 1970s. Its primary products – deejaying, emceeing, b-boying, and graffiti – have evolved over the last five decades into a globally dominant force. Hip-Hop Architecture produces spaces, buildings, and environments that embody the creative energy evident in hip-hop’s first four elements. Close to the Edge: The Birth of Hip-Hop Architecture exhibits the work of students, academics and practitioners at the center of this emerging architectural revolution.”
Workplace Wednesdays
Each week, Archtober invites attendees to a behind-the-scenes look at some of the most innovative architecture firms in NYC.
>October 3. WEISS/MANFREDI Architecture/ Landscape/Urbanism.6–8pm, Weiss/Manfredi, 200 Hudson St, New York, NY 10013
Photo: courtesy of the Center for Architecture
>October 10. SITU.6–8pm, 141 Flushing Ave Building 77, Ste 508, Brooklyn, NY 11205
“Join SITU for an inside look at their Brooklyn Navy Yard (BNY) operations and the unique projects emerging from this multidisciplinary setup. SITU applies a range of architectural capacities – design, research and fabrication – to help innovative clients confront spatial and design challenges within the built environment. From creating a kit-of-parts for Brooklyn Public Library’s branches to milling sculptural features for luxury residences to designing 400,000 sq ft of office space for Google, SITU’s unique makeup has created a diverse portfolio and an unending series of thought-provoking questions about how spaces are being reimagined for today’s context.
Attendees will start in SITU’s design studio in Building 77 for a glimpse into their ongoing projects across commercial and institutional sectors. The group will then head across the Navy Yard to SITU’s fabrication shop for drinks, snacks and a guided tour of the materials and technology they use to help realize complex design projects.”
>October 17. Todd Williams Billie Tsien Architects | Planners. 6–7:30pm, 222 Central Park South, New York, NY 10019
>October 24. Steven Holl Architects. 6–8pm, 450 West 31stStreet, 11thFloor, New York, NY 10001
Building of the Day
Each day of October features a Building of the Day – a building or other architecture project is featured, and people can register to tour it.
>October 17. Dock 72.12–1pm. 63 Flushing Ave #300, Brooklyn, NY 11205. Architect: S9 Architecture
“Inspired by the forms of the vessels that were once built in the Navy Yard, the building’s “V-shaped” structural columns lift the ship-like structure above the floodplain and form dual water and land access. The typical rectangular office massing was transformed and sculpted, stepping down toward Wallabout Bay, creating terraces with views of the surroundings. S9 Architecture will lead registrants through a tour of the building’s structure, and Fogarty Finger will speak about the interior architecture and amenities.”
>October 18. Brooklyn Bridge Park Boathouse.12–1pm. 10 Montague Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201. Architect: Architecture Research Office
“Poised on riprap overlooking the water, a new boathouse extends from the Pier 5 Uplands of Brooklyn Bridge Park. The porous structure punctuates the rhythm of the one-and-a-half mile long park experience, connecting the landscape to the waterfront. Providing secure open-air boat storage at grade level, with a multipurpose room and public restrooms safely above floodwaters on the upper floor, the architecture of the 5,000 sf boathouse is purposeful, economical and resilient.”
>October 30. 123 Melrose, 12–1pm.123 Melrose Street, Brooklyn, NY 11206. Architect: ODA New York
“Situated on the former site of Brooklyn’s Rheingold Brewery, the project will generate 1,000,000 sf of apartment units in Bushwick, 20% of which will be affordable. The project will host a multitude of communal spaces open to the neighborhood, while a 17,850 sf public park will bisect the development creating a green promenade and two 400 by 200 feet blocks. These masses are further perforated by a sequence of meandering, interconnected courtyards which ultimately lead to the promenade. Over the pair of these NY city blocks, ODA superimposed the layout of woven streets in a typical old town core.”
Family-Friendly Events
>October 15. Building of the Day – Hayes Theater.2–3pm, 3:30–4:30pm. 240 West 44th Street, New York, NY 10036. Architect: Rockwell Group. Building of the Day Tour of Hayes Theater
“New this year, join us for our inaugural family-friendly Building of the Day tour at 3:30pm! Guided by a CFA Design Educator and a Rockwell Group architect, families will learn about this unique theater, discovering its historic and contemporary significance as Broadway’s littlest theater! This tour is only for students in grades 5-8, accompanied by an adult.”
Photo: courtesy of the Center for Architecture
>October 21. Family Build and Wear Workshop.10:30am – 12:30pm. Center for Architecture, 536 LaGuardia Place, New York, NY 10012.
“Create your own architecture-inspired Halloween costume! Families will learn how to “read” buildings for clues about their design and function through an interactive slide show. Using these concepts, participants will have the opportunity to construct their own wearable building using giant paper bags as the base for their design. Participants will also have the option of adding a crown to the design in the form of a building spire.” Price: $12/Child and $6/Adult.
Manhattanhenge and #ArchtoberSelects Instagram Competition
“Once again, Archtober has partnered with the Four Freedoms Park Alliance to host a Manhattanhenge event on Thursday, July 12. Twice a year, the sun sets perfectly in line with the NYC street grid creating this unique visual experience. FDR Four Freedoms Park will stay open late, offering a perfect location from which to observe this fun and beautiful phenomenon. In conjunction, Archtober will host the second annual #ArchtoberSelects Instagram competition, judged by @field_condition! Event attendees can share their photos of the sunset with #ArchtoberSelects by 3pm on Friday, July 13 for a chance at winning prizes from Archtober and NYC Ferry.”
“Additionally, Atomic Funk Project will flex their freedom of speech and expression muscles to perform a fantastic set of funk and soul classics, Wonder Photo Shop NYC will be onsite with an interactive photo installation, and many more surprises! So, bring your camera, grab a friend, and capture the NYC skyline as you’ve never seen it before! Register for free here.”
Pumpkitecture! Architectural Pumpkin Carving Competition
>October 26. Pumpkitecture.6-8:30pm,The Center for Architecture
“Start off your Halloween weekend at the Center for Architecture’s second annual Pumpkitecture! competition! 20 New York City-based firms will go gourd to gourd to once again compete for the Pritzkerpumpkin.
Who will squash the competition? Who will summon the Brutal ghost of Marcel Booeuer and invoke the spirit of Michael Gravesyard? Will the Crowned Curibita be inspired by Frank-o-Lloyd Wright’s Guggengourd? See for yourself at Pumpkitecture!
Come witness architects live-carve extraordinary structures and vote for the People’s Pumpkin. Pumpkitecture! will take place on Friday, October 26 from 6:00 – 8:30 PM. The carving will commence at 6:15 and will run through 7:30. Contestants will briefly defend their designs, after which jurors will deliberate and pick the winning pumpkin.”
*Cost – Member: $10 / Non-Member: $15
Some events are already sold out and space is limited at some events, so head to the www.archtober.org to find up-to-date information and snag a spot at something that interests you.