2011 PS1 Young Architects Program People's Choice Award

Archinect is pleased to announce the PS1 People's Choice Award, an honor bestowed upon the PS1 competition entry that is selected by public vote as the architectural community's favorite.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE PROJECT AND VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE

In 2000 the Museum of Modern Art and MoMA PS1 launched the Young Architects Program (YAP), an annual competition to design and build an installation in the iconic triangular courtyard of MoMA PS1. Although MoMA's goals for the competition are rather modestly stated as to "provide visitors with an outdoor recreational area for the summer... making the best use of the pre-existing space and available materials," the competition quickly became a venue for architectural innovation and a platform from which practices such as SHoP, ROY, and nArchitects stepped into the big league.

Now in its twelfth incarnation, the PS1 YAP competition is beginning to show signs that its competitors have outgrown their hosts as an increasing number of entrants feel compelled to look beyond the creation of shade and add new dimensions of relevance to their proposals. Mirroring the larger mood of contemporary North American architecture, there's a growing tension between entries that exhibit beautiful formal tactics, like MOS' sublime techno-snuffaluffagus and SO-IL's Pole Dance, and those which dwell on strategies such as Work AC's garden of community engagement. The last few years of the PS1 competition has batted a central question back and forth: should architecture aspire to more than a good dance party?

This is a question for all of us, not just the MoMA jury. The official winner is still decided by Glenn Lowry, Klaus Biesenbach, and a rotating panel of experts, but as of 2011 Archinect is offering the (completely unofficial) PS1 People's Choice Award. Our hope is that by opening up the competition to a wider vote we can catalyze a healthy discussion about what's hot and what's not (other than the NYC summer sun).

Review each project before casting your vote. You may vote once and only once. If you're feeling generous with your time, please leave a comment on this page explaining what motivated your decision. Voting closes on March 11th, 12pm EST. The winner will be announced on March 11th.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE PROJECT AND VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE