Archtober Festival Entering Its Seventh Year
The seventh annual Archtober, a month-long celebration of architecture and design, is set to take place October 1-31, 2017. Organized by the Center for Architecture in collaboration with 60+ partners and sponsors, the 2017 installment of Archtober gathers events ranging from daily building tours and lectures by design experts, to architecture-themed competitions and parties.
During the month of October, a host of events will take place throughout the five boroughs of New York City. The well-known Building of the Day series of walking tours continues with highlights including 56 Leonard Street, the Woolworth Residences, the Noguchi Museum, and Saint John the Divine. Archtober will introduce a new running series called Workplace Wednesdays. Each Wednesday during the month, an architectural firm will invite the public to their offices to host a workshop, talk, or presentation; tickets will be available to the public via the Archtober website.
“Archtober 2017 represents the breadth and diversity of institutions engaging architecture and design across the five boroughs. Our partners will present programs that energize the city’s design enthusiasts and professionals alike.” says Benjamin Prosky, Assoc. AIA, Executive Director of AIA New York and the Center for Architecture.
From lectures to awards galas and design workshops, Archtober partner events run the length of the month. The National September 11 Memorial & Museum will present a lecture on the architecture and design of the World Trade Center called Trees of Steel: The World Trade Center Tridents. Open House New York Weekend returns once again, along with National Design Week put on by the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. The National Design Awards Gala will be held during their design week, and Docomomo US will host their Modernism in America Awards.
In addition, several partners and sponsors will be leading site tours of their facilities throughout the month; the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum will hold an After Hours Architecture Tour to explore the iconic structure designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, Freshkills Park has organized a Discovery Day of the landfill-turned-park, and the Judd Foundation will host a Guided Visit of 101 Spring Street. To see the city from the water’s edge, join Classic Harbor Line, in partnership with AIA New York, for daily architecture boat tours.
The Center for Architecture will also host a series of festive, architecture-themed events with a twist, including the popular Pumpkitecture competition, in which teams of architects carve pumpkins into architectural works to win the Pritzkerpumpkin. Joining from London is the Great Architectural Bake-off, in collaboration with WATG and Wimberly Interiors, where architects and designers test their skills in a new medium, cakes! Additionally, Archtober Trivia Night, industry experts will try to stump the audience with questions about architecture, design, and NYC’s built environment.
Archtober 2017 also introduces a new sponsorship program for manufacturers, expanding the festival’s reach beyond NYC’s cultural institutions to engage the city’s dynamic design industry.
A media preview will be hosted in early September by Classic Harbor Line, and will take place as a boat tour around the southern tip of Manhattan.
About Archtober
New York City’s Architecture and Design Month presents special tours, lectures, films and exhibitions that focus on the importance of architecture and design in everyday life. Organized by the Center for Architecture in collaboration with partnering organizations across the city, the festival raises awareness of the important role of design in our city and the richness of New York’s built environment. www.archtober.org
About the Center for Architecture
The Center for Architecture is the premier cultural venue for architecture and the built environment in New York City, informed by the complexity of the City’s urban fabric and in dialogue with the global community. The Center shares a home with the AIA New York Chapter and has the unique advantage of drawing upon the ideas and experiences of practicing architects to produce thought-provoking exhibitions, informative public programs, and quality design education experiences. http://cfa.aiany.org
