The Center for Architecture, the public gallery of the American Institute of Architects New York Chapter, will be the home base for the city’s second annual Architecture Week, a seven-day festival of contemporary design. Events for architecture professionals, children, city strollers, and anyone interested in design will fill the schedule, which runs October 4-10, with a pre-festival conference on October 2.

           

Architecture Week focuses this year on the theme of design collaboration and also celebrates the one-year anniversary of the Center for Architecture – NYC’s public center for information and dialogue about design.

           

Kicking off the week, the gallery at the Center for Architecture (536 LaGuardia Place) will house the annual exhibition of winning projects of the AIA New York Chapter Design Awards and the Boston Society of Architects/AIA New York Housing Design Awards. The winners will be honored at a reception on Monday, October 4, immediately following the opening of the exhibition at 6:30 p.m.

           

On Tuesday, October 5, the Center for Architecture will host a Design-In Marathon: 12 hours of uninterrupted dialogue about collaboration, considered as an integral feature of creativity in architectural practice, design, and the arts. Team presentations, ranging from intimate dialogues to round-table discussions, will begin at 9:00 a.m. Topics to be discussed range from the Second Avenue Subway to the Highline, from the Robin Hood Foundation’s Library Initiative to New York City’s building code. Panelists and presenters include Randolph Croxton, Croxton Collaborative Architects Chris Sharples, SHoP; Calvin Tsao, Tsao & McKown; Henry Myerburg, Rockwell Group; Billie Tsien, Tod Williams Billie Tsien; Markus Dochantschi, Studio MDA; developer Frank Sciame, and many other architects, designers, and city officials too numerous to mention (click link above for complete program). The marathon concludes with Lincoln Center’s John Goberman and his very special presentation of the film Metropolis followed by an 11:00 p.m. reception.

           

Wednesday, October 6, is kids’ day, as Architecture Week presents “Play by Design” from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The event, organized by the New York Foundation for Architecture in partnership with Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, invites students from grades K-12 to work with professionals from the NYC Parks Department to design and build models of their ideal playgrounds for Washington Square Park.

           

The night of Thursday, October 7, is set aside for the Heritage Ball: the annual gala of AIA New York Chapter and the New York Foundation for Architecture. This year’s ball, held at Pier 60, Chelsea Piers, celebrates civic spirit and design excellence, as exemplified by four guests of honor: Edward A. Feiner, FAIA, Chief Architect, General Services Administration; Bruce S. Fowle, FAIA, Principal, Fox & Fowle Architects; Matthew Goldstein, Chancellor, City University of New York; and Patricia J. Lancaster, FAIA, Commissioner, New York City Department of Buildings. Following the ball, the “Party @ the Center” will transform the Center for Architecture into an urban circus – complete with d.j. – from 9:30 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.

           

On Friday, October 8, the Center will launch a Movie Marathon, at 6:30 p.m., with Eames Demetrious introducing two of his films – one on Samuel Mockbee’s Rural Studio and the other on the story of the Eames office. A surprise feature will follow and free popcorn will be available throughout the evening.

           

Saturday and Sunday, October 9 and 10, are the dates for the second annual openhousenewyork: free tours of new and historic buildings and sites throughout the five boroughs, organized by the independent, not-for-profit organization. This year includes more than 100 sites – from cemeteries to light houses, arsenals to meeting houses, power plants to swimming pools, Times Square to private apartments – and a number of architects’ offices. (The Center will serve as the welcome center for the tours.)

           

As a preview event to Architecture Week, the Center will host a major conference on Saturday, October 2, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Presented by the AIA International Committee in co-operation with AIA New York Chapter and its International Committee, the conference is dedicated to “International Practice Issues: Cross-Cultural Partnerships.” The program will bring together architects from around the world to discuss the challenges and opportunities of international collaborations and joint ventures. (Pre-registration is required for this event).

 

Also on view in the Center’s galleries is the current exhibition, “Civic Spirit: Changing the Course of Federal Design,” celebrating 10 years of the GSA’s Design Excellence Program.

 

The Center for Architecture is open 9:00 am to 8:00 pm, Monday - Friday, and 11 am to 5 pm, Saturdays. Admission is free. For information, contact the AIA New York Chapter at 212.683.0023 or info@aiany.org or visit the web site at www.aiany.org.