MoMA

Art Radio WPS1.org

Architects Program

The Museum of Modern Art and P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center jointly present MoMA/P.S.1 Young Architects Program (YAP), an annual series of competitions that gives emerging architects the opportunity to build projects conceived for P.S.1’s facility in Long Island City, Queens.

Established in 2000, the Young Architects Programs was designed to solidify the affiliation between The Museum of Modern Art and P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center. Glenn Lowry, Director of The Museum of Modern Art stated, “This inaugural project in the Young Architects Program is the epitome of what Alanna Heiss and I hoped to accomplish by merging our two organizations.  It not only furthers our curatorial mission, identifying and providing an outlet for emerging young talent, it aims to give something back to the community that has been so supportive of us.”

The objective of the project is to provide visitors with an outdoor recreational area for the summer—a much-needed refuge in an urban environment—making the best use of the pre-existing space and available materials. The architects follow a program with a tight budget, and are involved in every aspect of the design, development, and construction of the project. The site, the large triangular entrance courtyard and outdoor sculpture area of P.S.1, is an integral part of P.S.1’s popular music concert series, Warm Up, which features experimental music, live bands and DJs. The site is open to visitors throughout the summer.

To choose an architect for this project, deans of architecture schools and the editors of architecture publications nominate some twenty students, recent architectural school graduates, and established architects experimenting with new styles or techniques. The group is asked to submit portfolios of their work for review by a panel comprised of Mr. Lowry, Ms. Heiss, and a host of experts in the art and architecture community. The panel selects three finalists who are invited to make preliminary proposals for the designated site, and the chosen winner is then announced in February.

Please note: The review committee is unable to take any unsolicited proposals.

If you would like to volunteer with the winning architects for the YAP project, please contact the Internship Coordinator at internships@ps1.org.