Hey New York City, here are our must-see Archtober exhibitions (and one party!)

New Yorkers know it's that time of the year again when the days are getting shorter, the mornings a bit crisper, and a flood of outstanding architecture and design events is about to hit the city: Archtober is here! 

For the seventh year in a row, Archinect & Bustler are proud to present the city-wide festival with its packed roster of exhibitions, lectures, conferences, films, and tours across the five boroughs. 

From Archtober's lengthy calendar of events, we'll be presenting weekly highlights starting on Monday. 

For today's post, we've put together a handy guide of some of the key exhibitions (and one party co-hosted by Archinect!) you should certainly not miss.

Never Built New York
Queens Museum, now open until February 18

Co-curated by Sam Lubell and Greg Goldin, and designed by Christian Wassmann, Never Built presents the "ghost of the city that could have been." Through prints, drawings, models, installations, and animations the show invites New Yorkers to see their metropolis from a new perspective.

Geostories: Another Architecture for the Environment
Cooper Union, October 17 - December 2

By presenting four subject-specific projects – After Oil, Of Oil and Ice, Pacific Aquarium and Trash Peaks – Geostories is touted as a manifesto "on the environmental imagination presented in architectural projects that engage the planetary scale with a commitment to the drawing as medium." The exhibition at Cooper Union's Arthur A. Houghton Jr. Gallery was developed by award-winning design-research practice, Design Earth.

Scaffolding
Center for Architecture, October 2 - January 18

Hiding in plain sight, scaffolding is ubiquitous in New York City, yet so underappreciated. The exhibition takes a look at its history, its potential as a kit-of-parts technology, and even had OMA partner Shohei Shigematsu reimagine the Center's architectural space through an installation of actual scaffolding.

5x5: Participatory Provocations
Center for Architecture, now open until October 31

Also at the Center right now is this exhibition that invited 25 young architects to respond to various prompts – some controversial – and create physical expressions or even provocations. The list of participating firms includes Snarkitecture, Formlessfinder, SOFTlab, Platform for Architecture + Research, Ultramoderne, among others.

Sonic Arcade: Shaping Space with Sound
Museum of Arts and Design, now open until February 25

Don't miss this exciting show at MAD featuring artists, designers, and performers who explore how the ephemeral and abstract nature of sound can be made material, thus helping to reorient "the body to consider spatial and interpersonal relationships anew." Interactive installations, immersive environments, and performing objects make this a must-visit.

Art and China after 1989: Theater of the World
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, October 6 - January 7

The Guggenheim is hosting an ambitious show (reportedly the largest show of this subject ever mounted in North America) that looks at the contemporary art coming out of China between 1989 and 2008 – arguably the country's most transformative period in its modern history, spanning from the Tiananmen Square protests all the way to the euphoria surrounding the Beijing Olympics.

Ettore Sottsass: Design Radical
The Met Breuer, now open until October 8

Over at the Met Breuer, a major exhibition looks at the six-decade career of Italian architect and designer Ettore Sottsass, presenting key works in a variety of media, including architectural drawings, interiors, furniture, machines, ceramics, glass, jewelry, textiles and pattern, painting, and photography. Don't be tardy though – the show comes to an end on Sunday, October 8.

Esperanza Spalding Selects
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, now open until January 7

Acclaimed Grammy Award-winning musician Esperanza Spalding had the honor of curating the 15th installation in Cooper Hewitt's Selects exhibition series. Digging through the museum's vast collection, the chanteuse selected nearly 40 drawings, prints, textiles, jewelry, and furniture under the theme of transformation.

Archtober Party, presented by Bespoke Careers & Archinect
Steelcase showroom, 4 Columbus Circle, October 12, 6:30 PM

Ain't no party like an Archtober party! After visiting all these exciting shows, it's time to treat yourself to a fun evening of champagne and hors d’oeuvres with a chance to network with your peers. Don't forget to RSVP here. 

Stay tuned for our weekly Archtober picks every Monday morning throughout the month of October.