Last year, the New Practices Committee of the AIA New York Chapter recognized seven promising and pioneering new architecture and design firms working in New York – the New Practices New York 2010 winners.
This year, AIANY and the Center for Architecture are thrilled to send an exhibition of these firms to São Paulo, and welcome in return an exhibition of São Paulo’s winning new practices. New York’s 2010 winners will be on view at the São Paulo International Architecture Biennial in Oscar Niemeyer’s OCA Pavilion in Ibirapuera Park from November 1 – December 4, 2011 and the young Brazilian firms will be featured in an exhibition opening July 14 at the Center for Architecture, 536 LaGuardia Place, in New York City.
The exhibition will remain on view at the Center for Architecture until September 10, 2011. More information after the break.
“I am very excited to host this international exchange,” explained AIANY President Margaret Castillo, AIA, LEED AP. “Given Brazil’s economic development, population growth, and hosting of the World Cup and the 2016 Olympics, more is being built in Brazilian cities than almost anywhere else on the globe. I’m certain that we’ll be able to learn much about forward-thinking design and practice models from these young firms.”
NEW PRACTICES NEW YORK COMPETITION
The New Practices New York 2010 competition selected EASTON+COMBS, which earned the highest honor in the competition (http://www.eastoncombs.com/); Archipelagos (http://www.archipelagos.org/); LEONG LEONG (http://leong-leong.com/); MANIFOLD (http://mani-fold.com/); SOFTlab (http://www.softlabnyc.com/); SO-IL (http://so-il.org/); and Tacklebox (http://www.tacklebox-ny.com/).
To qualify for the competition, practices had to be founded since 2004, and be located within the five boroughs of New York City. This is the first year that the New Practices competition has been open to firms without a registered architect, widening the field of entrants to designers, architectural designers and young professionals in the process of becoming licensed architects. Sixty-five registrants entered, and a distinguished panel of jurors selected the competition’s winners on Wednesday, May 12, 2010. The jury members were: Toshiko Mori, FAIA, Lead Juror, Toshiko Mori Architect; Joe MacDonald, Assoc. AIA, Urban A&O; William Menking, The Architect’s Newspaper; Guy Nordenson, Guy Nordenson and Associates; and Galia Solomonoff, AIA, Solomonoff Architecture Studio.
The AIA New York Chapter, with close to 5000 members, is the oldest and largest chapter of an 80,000-member national organization. With this history, the Chapter remains committed to supporting and promoting young and emerging talent. “Not only does this competition support emerging talent, but it’s also a vital step for our chapter’s support of small businesses in New York City. All of our winning firms are closely held companies working on projects both regionally and internationally, demonstrating the role of architecture as a vibrant source of global economic trade,” said Marc Clemenceau Bailly, AIA, New Practices Committee Co-Chair and former New Practices winner.
SAO PAULO COMPETITION
In Brazil, the Sao Paulo Department of the Instituto de Arquitetos do Brasil (BIA) administered the competition. As in New York, the Brazilian call and jury emphasized a multidisciplinary approach to architectural practice. Of twenty-one entries submitted in fall of 2010, seven were selected: Metro Arquitetos Associados, Vazio S/A Arquitetura e Urbanismo, Triptyque Arquitetura, 23 Graus Sul Arquitetura, Yuri Vital Architect, PAX.ARQ, and Arkiz.
These winners were chosen by a jury of distinguished Brazilian architects and designers: Carlos Motta, architect; Isay Winfeld, architect and designer; João Sette Whitaker Ferreira, PhD in Landscape and urban designer; José Armenio de Brito Cruz, an emerging architect; Nádia Somekh, PhD in urban design and governmental planning; Ricard Itsuo Ohtake, architect and curator of Fundacao Tomie Ohtake; Roberto Loeb, architect and sustainable designer.
This is the third iteration of the biennial New Practices competition. This is also the third exchange – AIANY’s New Practices winners have been exhibited in London (2007) and San Francisco (2009), and those cities have brought their works to NYC.
EXHIBITION ON VIEW
In São Paulo: November 1 – December 4, 2011 – OCA Pavilion, Ibirapuera Park, São Paulo
The New Practices New York 2010 exhibition is designed by LEVENBETTS. The exhibition will be a part of the 9th São Paulo International Architecture Biennial, and installed in Niemeyer’s iconic 1950s OCA Pavilion. The New York winners will travel to São Paulo for the opening.
In New York: July 14 – September 10, 2011 – Center for Architecture, 536 LaGuardia Place, New York City
The New Practices São Paulo exhibition is designed by Easton+Combs. The exhibition will include a “New Practices Newspaper” with profiles of the seven firms, architect-produced short films, and small architectural models. The Brazilian winners will be in New York for the exhibition opening and related programming.
PRESS PREVIEW
Media are invited to a press preview from 5-6pm on July 14, 2011 at the Center for Architecture, 536 LaGuardia Place, New York City. Write nfriedman@aiany.org or call 212-358-6126 to RSVP or to arrange an interview with featured architects.
EXHIBITION OPENING PARTY
The exhibition opening for New Practices São Paulo will be held July 14, 2011, from 6:00-8:00pm at the Center for Architecture, 536 LaGuardia Place, New York City, and is free and open to the public.
