The American Institute of Architects New York Chapter is continuing its 2010 Design Awards program with the 5th Annual Design Awards Luncheon, the Design Awards Exhibition and the Design Awards public programs at the Center for Architecture.
AIANY's Design Awards, now in its 29th year, recognize the best in new architecture, in New York and around the globe. On March 1, four international juries reviewed 425 submissions in four categories: interiors, architecture, un-built work, and new for 2010, urban design. (Jurors included San Diego professor Teddy Cruz and Los Angeles luminary Craig Hodgetts, FAIA, and Canadian architects Brigette Shim, Hon. FAIA, and Gilles Saucier.) The thirty-four selected projects were selected for design quality, program resolution, innovation, and technique. These thirty-four winners will be featured in the Design Awards Luncheon, exhibition and programs.
Design Awards Luncheon
On April 14, at 11:30, six hundred members of New York's architecture and related communities will gather in one of New York's most distinguished spaces for a celebratory luncheon. In addition to honoring the award winners, the Luncheon serves as a benefit for the Center for Architecture and its ongoing mission to promote design excellence. Mark Robbins, Dean of the School of Architecture at Syracuse University, and former Director of Design at the National Endowment for the Arts, will give the keynote address. The awards will be presented to the principle architects and key participants from each project, including Toshiko Mori, FAIA, for her design for The Eleanor and Wilson Greatbatch Pavilion (the welcome center in front of Frank Lloyd Wright's Darwin D. Martin House in Buffalo, NY), Thomas Phifer, AIA, for a private residence he built on Fishers Island, NY, and James Corner and Ric Scofidio, AIA, for their work on The High Line in Manhattan. "The Design Awards Luncheon has special meaning for me," explained Anthony Schirripa, FAIA, AIANY President. "Almost 7 years ago, I proposed that we celebrate the honorees at a luncheon in the company of their peers. The success of this event each year has exceeded my wildest dreams - with these funds raised, the Chapter has expanded its already strong programming at the Center for Architecture, to the benefit of our members and the public we serve."
Design Awards Exhibition and Opening
The following evening, April 15, the celebration will move to the Center for Architecture (536 LaGuardia Place) for the Design Awards Exhibition opening. This free, public event (6-8pm), will bring together young team members and senior designers, architectural enthusiasts and enlightened clients. In addition to large scale photography, the exhibition, on view April 15 to July 3, features models by Steven Holl, Morphosis, and Peter Gluck and Partners. "Design matters, and in this exhibition we are able to show great design around the globe, generated and incubated here in New York City," said Rick Bell, FAIA, Executive Director of AIANY and the Center for Architecture. "Whether you're an architect in practice or a design fan from the street, we can all learn about contemporary architecture from the projects showcased at the Center."
Design Awards Programs
There will be three Design Award programs developed in conjunction with the exhibition. On Saturday, May 8, a symposium on "Architecture & Interiors in New York and Beyond" will discuss the nineteen award-winning projects in the Architecture and Interiors categories. On Monday, May 10, an evening program will discuss this year's winning work in the "un-built" category. The series of Design Awards programs concludes on Thursday, June 17, with a panel discussing the four Urban Design winners, and each project's impact on New York City.