Summer at the Center for Architecture Foundation

Summer in New York is the perfect time to explore the endless cultural opportunities this great city has to offer. The AIA New York Chapter and the Center for Architecture Foundation have a number of summer programs lined up this year that will provide an excellent stop for any urban stay-cation. The current exhibition, A Space Within: The National September 11 Memorial & Museum, is a stunning showcase of this highly anticipated design. On September 11th, 2001, what had been one of the world's most densely developed business districts became, for many, hallowed ground. Soon after, questions emerged: What comes next? How could one site serve the needs of victims' families, survivors of the attacks, members of the surrounding communities, business interests, and visitors? The answer required a clear separation of the sacred and the secular: a designated eight-acre space was established to serve as a tribute within the larger development. A Space Within is a public showcase of the memorial and museum that are now taking shape at the heart of the World Trade Center site. With all of the designers participating, this exhibition gives a comprehensive view of both the vision and where the project stands to date. Memorial designers Michael Arad and Peter Walker, museum designers Davis Brody Bond Aedas, and museum pavilion designer Snohetta all came together for a panel discussion on the evening of July 1. Continuing programming for the memorial and museum will be held at the Center through September 14. Curator Thomas Mellins and exhibit designers Incorporated Architecture & Design have transformed the Center into an evocative environment that gives a strong sense the exciting new project soon coming to Lower Manhattan. Visitors can gather in front of the large images of the proposed waterfalls and imagine a breezy cooling spot amidst this warm summer weather. Global Polis: Interactive Infrastructures is another exhibition and workshop activity offered at the Center this summer. It is an inspiring opportunity to step back and examine our ever expanding role as architects. Our capacity to balance urban development with the demands of ecological imperatives and social needs has only worsened in recent decades. This exhibition asks whether the trend can be reversed. Global Polis documents a series of contemporary experiments in planning, architecture, and design that treat cities and their environments in holistic terms - not just as an assembly of buildings, roadways, bridges, pipes, and tunnels (although each of these is important), but as a complex social, political, and ecological matrix. Infrastructure cannot be divorced from the structure of democracy or from the environment at large. The contributions to this exhibition highlight the important role that community, communication, participation, and the sharing of knowledge can play in garnering a greater understanding of the urban fabric. The exhibition is on view on the lower floors. Aside from these great exhibits, the Center for Architecture is offering week-long camp programs for students of all ages. Budding builders of a future New York can participate in educational walking tours of some of our historic neighborhoods, visit many of the city's finest museums and explore exemplary art and design projects. Organized by the Center for Architecture Foundation, these programs run throughout July to mid-August. This summer, there will also be an engaging series of lectures and discussions held at the Center. Adult students may be interested in a presentation by structural engineer of the Bird's Nest Olympic stadium, built for last year's Beijing Olympics. Discussion will focus on the innovative technology that made for a fascinating design solution. Other lectures include a session on strategic thinking for our future practices. All in all, the Center for Architecture is a summer hub for activities, art and science. The Center is located on LaGuardia Place between Bleecker and West 3rd St., steps away from Washington Square, Soho and the West Village - all great stops for a weekend in the city! Sherida Paulsen, FAIA is the 2009 president of the New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, New York, N.Y.