Architecture Now: New York, New Publics opens at MoMA

What promises to be a groundbreaking exhibition of emerging architectural talent in the New York area will officially open this weekend at MoMA.

The museum’s highly-anticipated Architecture Now: New York, New Publics is the first in a new series of exhibitions meant to give a platform to practitioners whose recent work expands the relationship between architecture and various publics in the city of 8.5 million.

Co-organized by Assistant Curator Evangelos Kotsioris and department Chief Martino Stierli, the show features a total of twelve projects recently completed by NYC-based practices that embody both the skillful application of emergent technologies and reimagining of civic space while redistributing private resources at a pivotal juncture in terms of the city’s social history. 

Per the curators: “In a city where many aspects of our social lives are shaped by real estate interests and economic forces, architecture can nevertheless play a vital role in fostering collective participation and a sense of belonging. New York, New Publics showcases twelve projects across the New York metropolitan area that critically engage with their material and social contexts to propose ways in which architecture can serve as a public amenity.”

“In contrast to the violent and disruptive nature of large-scale infrastructure and urban renewal initiatives of the past century — which frequently prioritized cars and resulted in the displacement of low-income groups, particularly communities of color — recent design strategies present subtler, restorative interventions. Considering the city a fragile ecosystem in need of care, these inventive approaches envision a future in which architecture creates more accessible, sustainable, and equitable cities.”

The exhibition’s design is meant to mirror the experience of moving through the city, with architectural models, drawings, sketches, and photographs placed side-by-side with objects such as building components and prototypes made by Adjaye Associates, Agency—Agency and Chris Woebken, CO Adaptive, James Corner Field Operations, Kinfolk, nARCHITECTS, New Affiliates and Samuel Stewart-Halevy, Olalekan Jeyifous, Only If, Peterson Rich Office (PRO), SO – IL, and SWA/Balsley and Weiss/Manfredi with ARUP.

A set of twelve videos by Brooklyn-based filmmaker Hudson Lines supplements the mix of traditional and new media, along with an augmented reality installation, offering a view of the potential for architecture in a changed metropolis marred by multiple pandemics yet nevertheless encouraged by resilience and enthralled by winds of societal change.

Located on Floor 3 of the museum, Architecture Now: New York, New Publics is open until July 29th off this year. Additional programming will complement the exhibition. 

More information, including ticket reservations, can be found here.