Architecture News

New York City Readies for First-Ever "Archtober"

Photo courtesy Wikipedia

A new month follows September this year: It’s called “Archtober,” and it’s a cornucopia of events for New York architecture and design lovers. Initiated by the AIA New York chapter, openhousenewyork, and the Architecture & Design Film Festival, this month-long October fest expands on Architecture Week (held annually by AIANY since 2003) and unites several diverse programs and events under one banner for the first time. With 33 partner organizations involved, there’s guaranteed to be something for everyone.

For a complete schedule, see the Archtober website: archtober.org.

HIGHLIGHTS

October 1
Kick-off
Center for Architecture, 536 Laguardia Place
Archtober begins at the Center for Architecture, where the Archtober lounge will be open all day to provide visitors information about the month’s events. The Center will also open three exhibitions: Building Connections 2011: 15th Annual Exhibition of K-12 Student Design Work; Buildings=Energy; and Smarter Living: The 2000-Watt Society.

October 1-31
Buildings of the Day
Various locations
Each day will feature a different, recent New York City building or interior project, with tours hosted by the architects who designed them. First up is the Center for Architecture itself on October 1 (designed by Andrew Berman), followed by projects across four boroughs (sorry, Staten Island) and ranging in scale from office lobbies and neighborhood library rooms, to skyscrapers and urban parks. A complete Building of the Day list appears on the Archtober schedule, which can be downloaded at www.archtober.org.

October 15-16
openhousenewyork
Various locations
As it has for the past eight years, openhousenewyork will open to the public dozens of architectural landmarks around the city, including many locations that are closed to visitors during the rest of the year. Most are free, although for the first time, online reservations will cost $5 this year. Tickets to some of the more popular sites are snatched up as soon as they become available (beginning October 5), so make reservations early. For complete listings, site registration, or information about volunteering, visit www.ohny.org.

October 15-23
National Design Week
Various locations
Since 2006, the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum has hosted National Design Week, emphasizing the importance of design with a series of public programs and online resources. Held in conjunction with the National Design Awards, the week culminates on October 20 with a gala dinner honoring the 2011 award winners.

October 19
“New York New Work” Exhibition Opening
Location TBD, 6-8 p.m.
Located in the West 4th Street subway station, “New York New Work” is the annual exhibition promoting projects by AIA New York members. It will open with a cocktail reception at a location (venue TBD) near the subway station on October 19.

October 19-23
Architecture & Design Film Festival
Tribeca Cinemas, 54 Varick Street
Returning in its second year to the Tribeca Cinemas, the Architecture & Design Film Festival will again screen a selection of feature-length documentaries and film shorts. Subjects include buildings and architects both celebrated—Norman Foster and Zaha Hadid, of course—and under-recognized—Joseph Pettick, for instance, who designed over 500 buildings in Saskatchewan, or the never-completed National Art Schools in Havana, Cuba. With discussions featuring filmmakers and designers alike, it promises to be a star-studded festival. For complete listing of films and events, or to purchase tickets, visit adfilmfest.com.

October 27
AIA Heritage Ball; Party@the Center
Chelsea Piers, Pier 60, 6-9 p.m.; Center for Architecture, 536 Laguardia Place, 9 p.m.–2 a.m.
An annual black-tie bash attended by over 1200 guests, the AIA Heritage Ball is the single largest fundraiser each year for AIA New York, the Center for Architecture, and the Center for Architecture Foundation. Afterward, the Center for Architecture hosts Party@theCenter, the official after-party, until 2:00 the next morning. Heritage Ball attendees receive free admission to Party@theCenter, while additional tickets for are available for the after-party only. Tickets for both events are available at the AIA New York website: http://cfa.aiany.org/index.php?section=heritageball.

October 28-30
“Beyond the Super-Square: At the Corner of Art & Architecture” Symposium
Bronx Museum of the Arts, 1040 Grand Concourse
The Bronx Museum of the Arts will hold a three-day symposium to investigate the intersections and cross-fertilization between modern architecture and contemporary art in Latin America. Most events are free with registration. See supersquare.eventbrite.com for a schedule or to reserve seats.

ADDITIONAL EVENTS

In addition to the events featured above, 33 partner organizations are hosting dozens more events throughout the month. Information can be found on their websites.

AIA New York Chapter
Architecture & Design Film Festival
Architecture for Humanity
The Architectural League of New York
BMW Guggenheim Lab
The Bronx Museum of the Arts
Brooklyn Bridge Park
Brooklyn Historical Society
Center for Architecture Foundation
Checkerboard Film Foundation
Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, Smithsonian Institution
CultureNOW
Design Trust for Public Space
Docomomo
The Drawing Center
Forum for Urban Design
Friends of the High Line
Historic Districts Council
IIDA New York Chapter
Institute for Urban Design
The Municipal Art Society
The Museum of Arts and Design
The Museum of Modern Art
Museum of the City of New York
New York Chapter American Society of Landscape Architects
New York Landmarks Preservation Foundation
New York Transit Museum
The Noguchi Museum
openhousenewyork
The Skyscraper Museum
Storefront for Art and Architecture
Van Alen Institute
The Waterfront Center