Archinect - News

Urban Design Forum and Van Alen Institute will continue their Neighborhoods Now pandemic recovery initiative for 2022

2022-03-24T11:52:00-04:00

The Urban Design Forum and Van Alen Institute have announced a new cycle of Neighborhoods Now, their initiative launched in the Spring of 2020 that pairs leading architecture, design, economic development, legal, and planning firms with local New York City organizations to help drive their communities’ pandemic recovery.

As detailed in a statement by the Van Alen Institute, “Under the heading Neighborhoods Now: Forward, the initiative will extend through the end of 2022 and transition from rapid, tactical responses to long-term recovery strategies on a wider scale. Led by community organizations, seven interdisciplinary teams will enliven and program public space, provide technical support to small businesses, and strengthen cultural activities.”

Previously on Archinect: Van Alen and Urban Design Forum partner with four New York communities to develop reopening strategies

The teams are led by: 82nd Street Partnership, Asian Americans for Equality and Think!Chinatown; Bed-Stuy Gatewa...

Ekene Ijeoma's latest public installation reflects on social inequality to create a place of 'sanctuary at a time of intense hardship and loss'

2021-03-19T15:09:00-04:00

"Between the ongoing struggles in the racial and political movements in the United States and the COVID-19 pandemic, it can be difficult to find the time and space to breathe deeply and rest well. I held my breath for most of last year..." — these are the words of Ekene Ijeoma, artist, professor of Media Arts and Science at MIT, and founder/director of the Poetic Justice group at MIT Media Lab.

On March 16, Ijeoma unveiled his public installation Breathing Pavilion to the public. Located at The Plaza at 300 Ashland in Brooklyn, the pavilion was co-produced by Van Alen Institute and the not-for-profit local development corporation Downtown Brooklyn Partnership.

Ekene Ijeoma is the founder of Studio Ijeoma. "Through both his studio and lab at MIT, Ijeoma researches social inequality across multiple fields including social science to develop artworks in sound, video, multimedia, sculpture and installation." Text courtesy of studioijeoma.com Photo: Kris Graves

Breathing Pavilion, Ekene...

Van Alen Institute's "Reimagining Brooklyn Bridge" Competition winners have been announced

2020-08-19T17:29:00-04:00

After much anticipation, the winners of the Van Alen Institute Reimagining Brooklyn Bridge competition have been announced. Thanks to the competition's design jury and a public vote held during the competition's Virtual Design Show, the winning designs are "Brooklyn Bridge Forest" and "Do Look Down."

Within the competition's "Professional" and "Young Adult" categories, the competition brief was to provide proposals that would help redefine the Brooklyn Bridge to become "a new kind of icon." With aims to spark more public discussion about New York's infrastructure, the competition winners and selected finalists each provided a design to emphasize "climate action, social equity, and creative expression."

Deborah Marton, Executive Director of the Van Alen Institute, shared in a statement, "The competition's top proposals demonstrate the Brooklyn Bridge's potential to be a new kind of icon. The winning and finalist designs all contained excellent elements for us to consider as a city."

...

Finalists of Van Alen's Reimaging Brooklyn Bridge competition have been chosen. Who will take the prize?

2020-07-14T16:17:00-04:00

With the launch of the Reimagining Brooklyn Bridge competition earlier this year, the Van Alen Institute and New York City Council aimed to create an international open call for architects and designers to "rethink" how New York's iconic Brooklyn Bridge walkway could look in the future. The bridge's walkway is an iconic piece of the city; however, as the pandemic quickly swept across the globe, the idea of "reimagining Brooklyn Bridge" aimed to address more than just a simple redesign.

According to the Van Alen Institute, "As made even more clear by the pandemic, the design of our streets and shared spaces must be responsive to the present moment and work to correct past injustices. They must foster equitable, accessible, and sustainable transportation options, create a healthy and safe environment for all New Yorkers, and opportunities for small businesses and vendors to flourish."

With these new judging conditions in play, the jury selected the following six proposals to advance ...

Van Alen and Urban Design Forum partner with four New York communities to develop reopening strategies

2020-06-18T15:36:00-04:00

The Van Alen Institute, in collaboration with the Urban Design Forum, has launched Neighborhoods Now, a new initiative that connects four New York neighborhoods heavily impacted by COVID-19 with four leading design firms to collaborate and develop safe and effective reopening strategIes.

In a statement announcing the new pursuit, Van Alen Institute writes:

"In New York City and across the country, the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected communities of color. This crisis threatens to shutter small businesses and expand the racial wealth gap in neighborhoods that already lack access to resources and capital as a result of long-term structural inequity and racism. In response, and in a move to channel the talent of New York’s top design firms into these communities’ recovery, the Urban Design Forum and Van Alen Institute have launched Neighborhoods Now."

Through experimentation and collaboration, working groups from Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn; Jackson Heights,Queens; Kingsbridge,...

A design competition to help redesign New York's Brooklyn Bridge promotes creativity and digital collaboration!

2020-03-25T15:43:00-04:00

This post is brought to you by the Van Alen Institute

In light of the widespread disruption caused by the COVID-19 crisis, we have extended the submission deadline for Reimagining Brooklyn Bridge by two weeks. The new deadline is Sunday, April 19 by 11:59 pm ET.

There is no requirement to work together in person at this stage, and we strongly encourage participating teams to collaborate digitally and follow social distancing guidelines. We understand your workflows have been disrupted, so if you need guidance on how to proceed, contact us at competitions@vanalen.org.

The Brooklyn Bridge is one of New York’s most recognizable landmarks, and holds a special place in our collective imagination.

Since opening on May 24, 1883, the bridge has taken on near-mythic significance in New York City. Its striking form has captured the imagination of some of the nation’s most prominent artists. Its enduring iconographic power makes it one of the most photographed locations in New York. In popular...

Van Alen Institute and New York City Council call for competition proposals to "Reimagine the Brooklyn Bridge"

2020-03-09T16:41:00-04:00

This post is brought to you by the Van Alen Institute

*Competition Update: New deadline extension - Sunday, April 19 by 11:59 pm ET

The Brooklyn Bridge is one of New York’s most recognizable landmarks, and holds a special place in our collective imagination.

But that iconic status comes at a cost. At peak hours, the promenade is crammed, uncomfortable, and sometimes unsafe. Thousands of pedestrians and cyclists cross the bridge every day. In response to these conditions, the New York City Council and Van Alen Institute have launched Reimagining Brooklyn Bridge, an international d...

Deborah Marton will lead the Van Alen Institute

2019-06-15T15:52:00-04:00

Deborah brings extensive experience to Van Alen in successfully mobilizing professionals across various sectors —architecture, urban design, ecology, public health--—to take an interdisciplinary approach that effects positive change, particularly among underserved communities.

Deborah Marton has been selected to lead the New York City-based Van Alen Institute as the group's new executive director. Marton will replace David van der Leer, who announced plans to step down in October 2018.

Marton is currently the executive director of the New York Restoration Project (NYRP), an environmental and social justice initiative founded by actress Bette Midler. Under Marton's tenure, NYRP completed its MillionTressNYC Program and secured the necessary resources to renovate all of its 52 community gardens, among other accomplishments.

In a press release announcing Marton's selection, Jared Della Valle, board chair of Van Alen, said, "[Marton] has clearly shown an ability to build on Van Alen’s multiple roles as instigator, convener, thought partner and catalyst, and communicated a strong desire to ensure we create demonstrable outcomes that will usher in our next 125 years.”

The Van Alen institute is currently celebrating its 125th anniversary. Marton is due to assum...

New Museum appoints V. Mitch McEwen as curator of IdeasCity initiative

2018-07-24T18:04:00-04:00

The New Museum announced today the appointment of V. Mitch McEwen as Curator of IdeasCity, the museum's initiative exploring the future of cities. McEwen is the principal and cofounder of A(n) Office, a collaborative of design studios in Detroit and New York exploring the intersection of architecture and exhibition.

IdeasCity is a creative and collaborative enterprise operating through conferences, workshops, commissions, projects, and exhibitions in order to investigate key issues and proposes solutions. The Curator is a two-year appointment linked to the biennial presentation of IdeasCity in New York and is responsible for the two-year cycle leading up to this presentation.

As Curator of IdeasCity, McEwen will head up the 2018–19 cities and launch an open call for cities around the world to apply for the 2020–21 cycle. The next IdeasCity will take place in Toronto on September 15, 2018, in partnership with the Bentway.

Since 2017, McEwen has been Assistant Professor at Princeto...

Justice in Design: redesigning NY's most notorious prison

2017-07-14T19:00:00-04:00

Today, the Independent Commission on New York City Criminal Justice and Incarceration Reform—a multi-disciplinary group of experts convened by City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito—released Justice In Design, a report that envisions an alternative to a single, centralized jail. It details how community-based jails, dubbed “Justice Hubs,” might function in an urban context to replace Rikers.

The Rikers Island Correctional Facility, a complex of 10 jails and about 10,000 detainees located northeast of LaGuardia Airport, has been one of NYC's most debated problems for decades—widely criticized for corruption, brutal mistreatment of detainees, and inhumane conditions.

Independent Commission on New York City Criminal Justice and Incarceration Reform—a multi-disciplinary group of experts is proposing to shut down The Rikers and advocates for alternatives to single, centralized jails. The group released Justice In Design, a report that envisions an alternative to a single, centralized jail and details how community-based jails, dubbed “Justice Hubs,” might function in an urban context to replace Rikers.

"Developed in partnership with the nonprofit urban think tank Van Alen Institute, the design-based findings are a follow up to a March report that recommended a system of borough-based jails to replace Rikers, among other reforms to the city’s criminal justice system."

The d...

“Gateways to Chinatown” initiative accepting proposals for a new landmark at NYC's Canal Street Triangle

2017-04-20T12:34:00-04:00

“Gateways to Chinatown” is a newly launched initiative seeking design proposals for a new neighborhood landmark at New York City's Canal Street Triangle, between bustling Chinatown and the southern entrance to Little Italy’s Mott Street. The NYC Department of Transportation, the Chinatown Partnership, and Van Alen Institute are inviting design teams everywhere to submit their most innovative proposals for the new landmark and public space.

Initiated by the Chinatown Partnership, the project responds to decades of neighborhood advocacy and planning and a widespread desire for an iconic district marker along one of NYC's busiest thoroughfares.

Views of the Canal Street Triangle. Photo credit: Sigurjon Gudjonsson, NYC DOT.

In August 2016, the three organizations hosted a public forum to allow community members and stakeholders to share their opinions for a suitable district landmark. Following the forum, NYC DOT Street Ambassadors reached out to residents and visitors on-site to gather ad...

Bid for “Art + Design Experiences” with famous architects in Van Alen Institute's 2017 benefit auction

2017-03-16T18:12:00-04:00

Dig into Lina Bo Bardi's own archives at her Casa de Vidro in Sao Paulo, get a VIP preview of Yale’s new residential college with Robert A.M. Stern, dine with Neil Denari in the Alan-Voo House in LA, or enjoy cherry blossom season at its peak in Go Hasegawa's office rooftop in Tokyo. Those are only a few of the swanky “items” open for bidding in the Van Alen Institute's 2017 Art + Design Experiences Auction, which launched online today on Paddle8. (Sorry, no hanging out in the hot tub with Charles Renfro this time around.)

Bids start at $750, so if you've got that extra cash to spare, now's the chance to test your luck. The auction ends on Thursday, March 30 at 5:00 p.m. ET. Curious about what getaways are up for grabs? Take a peek:

Courtesy of Instituto Lina Bo e P.M. Bardi.

Verdant Vidro: “Disappear into the rainforests surrounding São Paulo with Renato Anelli and Sol Camacho to the Casa de Vidro, the former home of Brazilian modernist architect, Lina Bo Bardi. Enjoy lunch amid the t...

How the stressful voting-poll experience can be redesigned

2016-11-08T19:06:00-05:00

From longer-than-expected lines to technological fumbles, voting polls in urban cities are typically a gnarly mess on Election Day — sometimes causing some voters to end up discouraged and skip out. In response to this still-too-common situation, the Van Alen Institute launched the “Open Poll” flash competition, wherein interdisciplinary teams were invited to submit design proposals that create a more accessible, engaging voting experience for all.

The three finalist teams presented their proposals to the judges and the public got to watch and vote for their favorite entry. By the end of the one-day charrette, the winning team was announced. Have a look at the finalist entries below.

Winner: “Voting at Your Fingertips: A National Celebration of the Democratic Process”
Team: Racha Daher, Alexandra Gonzalez, and Elena Kapompasopoulou

Project description: “The current voting process is inefficient, strenuous, wasteful, non-inclusive, and prone to human error. This proposal aims to change ...

New app monitors the urban environment and its affects on mental wellbeing

2016-03-21T19:20:00-04:00

As the number of people moving to cities continues to rise, with 66% of the global population expected to live in urban areas by 2050, it is critical to understand how urban living is affecting us

Living in a concrete jungle has its pros and its cons, but how exactly does urban living affect mental wellbeing? A new cross-disciplinary project intents to find out by using a smartphone app called Urban Mind. The app is designed to monitor various aspects of a metropolitan environment - specifically noise, density, overcrowding, walkability, sociability and street activity. The team is now inviting the general public to download the app on their smartphone and participate in the research for a period of seven days.

“As the number of people moving to cities continues to rise, with 66% of the global population expected to live in urban areas by 2050, it is critical to understand how urban living is affecting us” urges representatives.

After downloading and installing the app, participants will be asked to answer questions about their current urban environment and mental wellbeing at random times throughout the day. When answering a set of questions participants also have the option o...

Van Alen auctioning a hot-tub roundtable, helicopter rides, birdwatching with famous architects for spring fundraiser

2015-05-11T09:40:00-04:00

The Van Alen Institute and online auction platform Paddle8 recently opened up their 2015 Auction of Art + Design Experiences that lets eager (and wealthy) bidders opt for basically hanging out with some of today's famous architects and designers.

This year's auction boasts an international list of activities with 24 leading creatives, like sitting in a hot-tub roundtable with Charles Renfro in his beach house, biking through downtown L.A. with Michael Maltzan on his daily route, birdwatching with Jeanne Gang, flying in a helicopter with Norman Foster over the River Thames, and testing the smoke ring generator at Copenhagen's waste-to-energy power plant with Bjarke Ingels and BIG partner Jakob Lange.

After bidding closes on May 20, proceeds will support Van Alen's ongoing cross-disciplinary research, public programs, and design competitions. Additionally, Van Alen will host their annual Spring Party on May 13 at The Surrogate's Courthouse in Lower Manhattan, New York City.

Check out the...

Architects tell all in a global survey about the future of design competitions

2015-04-23T15:49:00-04:00

Architectural design competitions have long been a crucial element in the field -- from the student level to starchitect status -- that can provide an international platform for drawing attention to pressing issues and new ideas in the world around us. Nonetheless, the typical structure of the competition is also in great need of its very own discussion. The Architectural Record and the Van Alen Institute conducted a global Competition Survey that asked architects and designers worldwide about what drives them to participate in competitions, what they like and dislike about the process, and suggestions for how to improve and rethink its format for the future.

Respondents fervently shared their input and personal experiences in the survey, which amassed a total of 1,414 responses from 65 countries. The Architectural Record and Van Alen published the results in three documents:

A compilation of raw data from the online survey platform
Ten Propositions that highlight the main factors that...

Re-Imagine How We Move Through Cities (Without That Blue Dot)

2014-12-03T18:33:00-05:00

A floating blue dot on a handheld device’s mapping app has become the default way we understand the complex flows of people through the city and the diverse ways we experience coming and going. Such direct representation is convenient, but removes the spontaneity of approaching the city as both a destination and departure point. This fall, Van Alen Institute’s week of programs re-imagines the way we navigate through the city, from tourist visits and daily commutes to forced migrations under intense economic pressures or the prospect of new opportunities.

Mirroring the multifaceted routes of individuals’ paths across cities, the programs scheduled for Dec. 8-14 investigate movement through myriad forms, from a series of short film screenings and a night of audacious comedy, to hacking the NYC subway with a new video game app and live debates on digital fixes for infrastructure. And like the pluralistic crowds that invigorate our quotidian trips, the programs bring together a diverse a...

INABA Wins First Ever Flatiron Plaza Holiday Design Competition

2014-09-23T13:02:00-04:00

New York Light by INABA to Anchor Flatiron’s Public Plaza Activities, Providing Interactive Feature Illuminating Month-Long Holiday Celebration

NEW YORK, September 16, 2014 – The Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership and Van Alen Institute announced the winner of the first-ever Flatiron Plaza Holiday Design Competition, in which top designers and architects proposed dynamic structures to be installed in front of the famed Flatiron Building during the 2014 winter holiday season.

Designed by INABA, the winning installation New York Light will illuminate the plaza as a backdrop for public events and provide visitors with a special view of the Flatiron building and the Madison Square skyline during the holiday season. The design is the result of a collaboration between the Brooklyn-based INABA, Tillotson Design Associates, and bengal.fierro.

Created to echo the plaza’s namesake skyscraper, the installation will frame the Flatiron Building to its south. At the other end, the steel tube installat...

Neural Cartography: Mapping the Brain's Response to DUMBO in Brooklyn

2014-06-18T14:47:00-04:00

Following their "How Does the Brain Respond to the City?" event last month, Van Alen Institute released a short video expanding on the Dumbo Mental Map Project. Collaborating with GSAPP's Cloud Lab, the video gives an insider look at the experiment, which uses EEG brain computer interfaces to gather data on participant's neural responses to the DUMBO outdoor urban environment.

The dynamic visualization of the 50 participant's mental activity data overlayed on the neighborhood is also available. The hypnotic video opens the door to entirely new forms of mapping and site analysis.

The Quest to Measure the Brain's Response to Urban Design

2014-05-07T12:13:00-04:00

We were participating in a little experiment trying to answer the question, “How does the brain respond to the city?” The headsets were recording second-by-second readings of our brain waves via Bluetooth to an app on the iPod. The resulting gigabyte of data, gathered from about 50 participants, will be aggregated into a visualization to be presented May 13 at Issue Project Room in Brooklyn. It’s part of the Van Alen Institute’s multiyear “Elsewhere: Escape and the Urban Landscape” project.

Getting up close and personal with the Times Square Heart Design winning sculpture

2014-02-14T15:55:00-05:00

To show you all some Valentine's Day love, we have more photos to share of Young Projects' recently unveiled "Match Maker" sculpture from the 2014 Times Square Heart Design competition. Currently on display at New York's Times Square until March 11, 2014, the interactive heart-shaped sculpture pairs up individuals based on their zodiac sign compatibility.

From left to right: Bryan Young of Young Projects; Sherry Dobbin, Director of Public Art for the Times Square Alliance; and David van der Leer, Executive Director of Van Alen Institute

Find more photos on Bustler.

Van Alen Institute’s upcoming “Elsewhere” initiative explores escapism in the urban experience

2013-10-17T21:31:00-04:00

The Van Alen Institute announced on Oct. 17 the upcoming launch of "Elsewhere", a multi-year initiative that will explore escapism in the contemporary urban environment. The community-centric initiative will consist of design competitions, various public programs, and research focusing on the multiplex aspects of escape — and how the findings from these investigations can create room for innovation and improvement in planning, design, and policy.

The kickoff for "Elsewhere" will officially begin on Nov. 12 through Nov. 17, with four days of public programs throughout New York City.

Registration is required for all kickoff events, as space will be limited. You can register here starting Oct. 22. Except for the Nov. 12 event, all events are free of charge.

Collective–LOK Wins Van Alen Institute’s Ground/Work Competition

2013-09-23T14:06:00-04:00

Earlier this morning, Ground/Work, the design competition for Van Alen Institute’s new street-level space in NYC, announced Collective–LOK as the overall competition winner. The victorious design team was formed as a collaboration of Jon Lott (PARA-Project), William O’Brien Jr. (WOJR), and Michael Kubo (over,under). Collective–LOK's winning proposal, titled Screen Play, was selected from a group of three finalist projects.

Previously:

Ground/Work Competition Finalist Entry by EFGH

2013-09-23T12:24:00-04:00

If you've been following the Van Alen Institute's Ground/Work competition along with us for the past few months, then you were probably hoping to find out who the winner is by the end of this past week. However, we received word from the organizers that we'll have to wait for the big announcement until Monday. So while we sit tight for a little longer, we're excited to share an in-depth look into another finalist entry, this time from EFGH.

Previously: Ground/Work finalist teams reveal their designs for Van Alen Institute’s new street-level space

UPDATE: Collective–LOK Wins Van Alen Institute’s Ground/Work Competition

Ground/Work Competition Finalist Entry by Of Possible Architectures

2013-09-17T13:51:00-04:00

For the past few months, we've been following the progression of the Van Alen Institute's Ground/Work competition for their new street-level space—from its launch to the announcement of the finalists [...]. While we wait for the winner of the competition to be announced this Thursday, we are happy to give a more thorough look into the proposal from the Of Possible Architectures team, one of the three Ground/Work finalists. More specifically, we're going to take a look at the Van Alen Table.

Previously: Ground/Work finalist teams reveal their designs for Van Alen Institute’s new street-level space

UPDATE: Collective–LOK Wins Van Alen Institute’s Ground/Work Competition

Ground/Work finalist teams reveal their designs for Van Alen Institute’s new street-level space

2013-09-04T20:14:00-04:00

Back in July, we published the selected finalist teams for Ground/Work, the design competition for Van Alen Institute's new street-level space in New York City. The three competition finalists—Collective-LOK, EFGH, and Of Possible Architectures—spent the last few weeks developing their design ideas which were presented to the public today.

The public is now invited to vote on the best proposal and contribute to the jury process. Voting will take place from September 4 to September 10, 2013. Full details on the finalist teams and their proposals can be found at the Ground/Work online gallery at www.vanalen.org/groundwork.

Previously: Three Finalists Announced for Van Alen Institute’s Ground/Work Competition

UPDATE: Collective–LOK Wins Van Alen Institute’s Ground/Work Competition

Three Finalists Announced for Van Alen Institute’s Ground/Work Competition

2013-07-25T17:03:00-04:00

Finalists have been announced today for Ground/Work: A Design Competition for Van Alen Institute’s New Street-Level Space. The challenge invited emerging designers, up to ten years out of school, to design Van Alen’s new street-level work space and public venue at 30 West 22nd Street in Manhattan. Three finalist teams were selected from a pool of over 120 teams answering the recent Call for Portfolios.

Previously: Ground/Work: A Design Competition for Van Alen Institute’s New Street-Level Space

UPDATE: Ground/Work finalist teams reveal their designs for Van Alen Institute’s new street-level space

UPDATE: Collective–LOK Wins Van Alen Institute’s Ground/Work Competition

Ground/Work: A Design Competition for Van Alen Institute’s New Street-Level Space

2013-05-17T19:02:00-04:00

Looking for a nice design competition to participate in this month? Our friends at New York's Van Alen Institute just announced the launch of Ground/Work, an international architecture competition seeking innovative designs for a new street-level venue to house the Institute’s work space and public programs. The competition started accepting entries earlier this week, submission deadline is June 13, 2013.

UPDATE: Three Finalists Announced for Van Alen Institute’s Ground/Work Competition

UPDATE: Collective–LOK Wins Van Alen Institute’s Ground/Work Competition

Why Architects Need Feminism

2012-09-12T12:42:00-04:00

For those of us who have long fought for greater diversity in architecture, the slow pace of change is less alarming than the emergence of cynical voices that dismiss the viability of architecture as a profession. At the final Van Alen roundtable, Dagmar Richter relayed the opinion, expressed by some in the field, that the declining status of the discipline is reflected in the growing presence of women in architecture schools — in other words, women are making headway because men are bailing.

Are we really ready to be post-feminist? Inspired by a series of Van Alen Institute roundtables held this spring — and by the alarming attrition rate of women practitioners — Despina Stratigakos advocates for an expanded role for next-wave feminism in architecture and design. Understanding feminism "as a matrix of politically conscious social, spatial and environmental strategies," she argues, could spur us to experiment with new models for a "more sustainable and inclusive architecture culture."