Sukkah City
Encyclopedia
Sukkah City is an Architectural design competition
and work of installation art
planned in partnership with the Union Square Partnership for New York City
's Union Square Park
in September 2010.
A committee of art critics and architects will select the 12 finalists from a field of entries. The twelve finalist sukkah
s were constructed at Brooklyn's Gowanus Studio Space, and driven by truck to Union Square Park for display on September 19 and 20 from dawn to dusk. The design chosen as "the people's choice" will stand, starting on September 22, for the requisite seven days of the Jewish holiday
of Sukkot
. Some entries will be selected for display at the Center for Architecture in New York City during the month of September.
The competition is the brainchild of journalist Joshua Foer
and Roger Bennett. It is sponsored by Reboot, an organization that aims to catalyze innovation in Jewish culture, rituals, and traditions.
A sukkah is the name given to a structure described in Torah
. The Children of Israel were instructed to annually commemorate their Exodus
from Egypt
by dwelling for seven days every autumn in temporary structures reminiscent of those in which they lived during their 40 years of wandering in the desert before settling in the Land of Israel
. Many Jews continue this practice to this day, and Sukkah City aims to re-imagine the sukkah in contemporary design.
The competition will be documented in a book, Sukkah City: Radically Temporary Architecture for the Next 3000 Years, and some of the designs will be exhibited in the Center for Architecture in New York City in September, 2010.
The jury includes Rick Bell, Executive Director of the New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects
, Geoff Manaugh, a senior editor at Dwell
magazine, architecture critic Paul Goldberger
designer Ron Arad
, architect Thom Mayne
, winner of the Pritzker Prize
, Michael Arad
, Allan Chochinov, Matias Corea, Steven Heller
, Natalie Jeremijenko
, Maira Kalman
, Thomas de Monchaux, Ada Tolla and Adam Yarinsky. The rabbinic adviser is Dani Passow.
Co-organizer Joshua Foer expects the entries to range from "the latest in digital fabrication to handmade craft techniques."
During the period when the 12 winners stand in the park, visitors will be able to vote for their favorite design.
The "people's choice award" sukkah was entitled Fractured Bubble,and was designed by Long Island City architects Henry Grosman and Babak Bryan.
, which stipulates that a sukkah design must be a temporary structure. The roof must be made of non-edible plant material. The roofing must be thick enough to shade those sitting inside in daytime, and thin enough so that stars are visible through the roof at night. The walls must be at least 10 handsbreadth tall but can be made of any material; the body of a dead whale
can serve as a wall. The sukkah can also be built atop a live camel
.
According to competition organizer Joshua Foer, "The sukkah is a space to ceremonially practice homelessness.... In that sense it is an architecture of both memory and empathy—memory of the huts the Israelites dwelled in during their exodus from Egypt long ago, and empathy for those who live today without solid shelter over their heads. It goes up in the fall, just when it's no longer entirely comfortable to be outside. His comments refer to the weather in New York: in Israel the weather is still very clement at this time of year.
Architectural design competition
An architectural design competition is a special type of competition in which an organization or government body that plans to build a new building asks for architects to submit a proposed design for a building. The winning design is usually chosen by an independent panel of design professionals...
and work of installation art
Installation art
Installation art describes an artistic genre of three-dimensional works that are often site-specific and designed to transform the perception of a space. Generally, the term is applied to interior spaces, whereas exterior interventions are often called Land art; however, the boundaries between...
planned in partnership with the Union Square Partnership for New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's Union Square Park
Union Square (New York City)
Union Square is a public square in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York.It is an important and historic intersection, located where Broadway and the former Bowery Road – now Fourth Avenue – came together in the early 19th century; its name celebrates neither the...
in September 2010.
A committee of art critics and architects will select the 12 finalists from a field of entries. The twelve finalist sukkah
Sukkah
A sukkah is a temporary hut constructed for use during the week-long Jewish festival of Sukkot. It is topped with branches and often well decorated with autumnal, harvest or Judaic themes...
s were constructed at Brooklyn's Gowanus Studio Space, and driven by truck to Union Square Park for display on September 19 and 20 from dawn to dusk. The design chosen as "the people's choice" will stand, starting on September 22, for the requisite seven days of the Jewish holiday
Jewish holiday
Jewish holidays are days observed by Jews as holy or secular commemorations of important events in Jewish history. In Hebrew, Jewish holidays and festivals, depending on their nature, may be called yom tov or chag or ta'anit...
of Sukkot
Sukkot
Sukkot is a Biblical holiday celebrated on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei . It is one of the three biblically mandated festivals Shalosh regalim on which Hebrews were commanded to make a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem.The holiday lasts seven days...
. Some entries will be selected for display at the Center for Architecture in New York City during the month of September.
The competition is the brainchild of journalist Joshua Foer
Joshua Foer
Joshua Foer is a freelance journalist living in New Haven, Connecticut, USA, with a primary focus on science. He was the 2006 U.S.A...
and Roger Bennett. It is sponsored by Reboot, an organization that aims to catalyze innovation in Jewish culture, rituals, and traditions.
A sukkah is the name given to a structure described in Torah
Torah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
. The Children of Israel were instructed to annually commemorate their Exodus
The Exodus
The Exodus is the story of the departure of the Israelites from ancient Egypt described in the Hebrew Bible.Narrowly defined, the term refers only to the departure from Egypt described in the Book of Exodus; more widely, it takes in the subsequent law-givings and wanderings in the wilderness...
from Egypt
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
by dwelling for seven days every autumn in temporary structures reminiscent of those in which they lived during their 40 years of wandering in the desert before settling in the Land of Israel
Land of Israel
The Land of Israel is the Biblical name for the territory roughly corresponding to the area encompassed by the Southern Levant, also known as Canaan and Palestine, Promised Land and Holy Land. The belief that the area is a God-given homeland of the Jewish people is based on the narrative of the...
. Many Jews continue this practice to this day, and Sukkah City aims to re-imagine the sukkah in contemporary design.
The competition will be documented in a book, Sukkah City: Radically Temporary Architecture for the Next 3000 Years, and some of the designs will be exhibited in the Center for Architecture in New York City in September, 2010.
The competition
The competition was launched with an announcement in May 2010. By June "hundreds" of architects, artists and designers had entered. The deadline for entries was August 1, 2010.The jury includes Rick Bell, Executive Director of the New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects
American Institute of Architects
The American Institute of Architects is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to support the architecture profession and improve its public image...
, Geoff Manaugh, a senior editor at Dwell
Dwell (magazine)
Dwell is an American magazine devoted to modern architecture and design. It was launched in September 2000 by mail-order heiress Lara Hedberg Deam with architecture and design critic Karrie Jacobs as its editor-in-chief. In August 2002 Jacobs left the magazine and was replaced by senior editor...
magazine, architecture critic Paul Goldberger
Paul Goldberger
Paul Goldberger is the Architecture Critic for The New Yorker, where since 1997 he has written the magazine's celebrated "Sky Line" column. He also holds the Joseph Urban Chair in Design and Architecture at The New School in New York City...
designer Ron Arad
Ron Arad (industrial designer)
Ron Arad is an Israeli industrial designer, artist, and architect.-Biography:Arad attended the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem between 1971–73 and the Architectural Association in London from 1974–79...
, architect Thom Mayne
Thom Mayne
Thom Mayne is a Los Angeles-based architect. Educated at University of Southern California and the Harvard University Graduate School of Design in 1978, Mayne helped found the Southern California Institute of Architecture in 1972, where he is a trustee...
, winner of the Pritzker Prize
Pritzker Prize
The Pritzker Architecture Prize is awarded annually by the Hyatt Foundation to honour "a living architect whose built work demonstrates a combination of those qualities of talent, vision and commitment, which has produced consistent and significant contributions to humanity and the built...
, Michael Arad
Michael Arad
Michael Arad is an Israeli-American architect who best known for being the designer of the World Trade Center Memorial. He won the competition to design the memorial in 2004.-Early life and education:...
, Allan Chochinov, Matias Corea, Steven Heller
Steven Heller (graphic design)
Steven Heller is an American art director, journalist, critic, author, and editor who specializes on topics related to graphic design....
, Natalie Jeremijenko
Natalie Jeremijenko
Natalie Jeremijenko is an artist and engineer whose background includes studies in biochemistry, physics, neuroscience and precision engineering. She is an active member of the net.art movement, and her work primarily explores the interface between society, the environment and technology...
, Maira Kalman
Maira Kalman
Maira Kalman, born in 1949, is an American illustrator, author, artist, and designer. Born in Tel Aviv, Kalman came to New York City with her family at age 4. She attended the High School of Music and Art, now LaGuardia High School....
, Thomas de Monchaux, Ada Tolla and Adam Yarinsky. The rabbinic adviser is Dani Passow.
Co-organizer Joshua Foer expects the entries to range from "the latest in digital fabrication to handmade craft techniques."
During the period when the 12 winners stand in the park, visitors will be able to vote for their favorite design.
The "people's choice award" sukkah was entitled Fractured Bubble,and was designed by Long Island City architects Henry Grosman and Babak Bryan.
Design requirements
All of the entries are required to conform to the requirements of Jewish lawHalakha
Halakha — also transliterated Halocho , or Halacha — is the collective body of Jewish law, including biblical law and later talmudic and rabbinic law, as well as customs and traditions.Judaism classically draws no distinction in its laws between religious and ostensibly non-religious life; Jewish...
, which stipulates that a sukkah design must be a temporary structure. The roof must be made of non-edible plant material. The roofing must be thick enough to shade those sitting inside in daytime, and thin enough so that stars are visible through the roof at night. The walls must be at least 10 handsbreadth tall but can be made of any material; the body of a dead whale
Whale
Whale is the common name for various marine mammals of the order Cetacea. The term whale sometimes refers to all cetaceans, but more often it excludes dolphins and porpoises, which belong to suborder Odontoceti . This suborder also includes the sperm whale, killer whale, pilot whale, and beluga...
can serve as a wall. The sukkah can also be built atop a live camel
Camel
A camel is an even-toed ungulate within the genus Camelus, bearing distinctive fatty deposits known as humps on its back. There are two species of camels: the dromedary or Arabian camel has a single hump, and the bactrian has two humps. Dromedaries are native to the dry desert areas of West Asia,...
.
According to competition organizer Joshua Foer, "The sukkah is a space to ceremonially practice homelessness.... In that sense it is an architecture of both memory and empathy—memory of the huts the Israelites dwelled in during their exodus from Egypt long ago, and empathy for those who live today without solid shelter over their heads. It goes up in the fall, just when it's no longer entirely comfortable to be outside. His comments refer to the weather in New York: in Israel the weather is still very clement at this time of year.