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

Van Alen Institute is pleased to announce 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. Since 1982, the Institute has occupied the sixth floor of its building at 30 West 22nd Street in Manhattan, where a diverse program of competitions, curatorial initiatives, and public events has made Van Alen an influential center for design innovation. This year, the Institute is making its public-oriented mission central to the reinvention of its own office and event space, transforming the ground floor and lower level of its building to house its entire organization.

Ground/Work invites emerging designers, up to ten years out of school, to propose bold visions for a light and highly flexible ground-floor space that is visible, accessible, and participatory in public life, with a strong connection to the street and the city at large. The Call for Portfolios runs from May 15 through June 13, 2013. Up to three finalists will be selected to compete in the second phase of the competition. The winning team will have four months to complete design work for construction in winter 2013.

View the full competition overview and submit your portfolio at: www.vanalen.org/groundwork