Recognizing the location and urbanistic presence of PS1, we propose strategies that attempt to capture the events of the summer at a scale that is commensurate with the presence of the institution within the city, bringing Long Island City into the institution and giving the institutions outdoor spaces back to the public.  In other words, our proposal seeks to operate at the scale of urban design, while investing in techniques that are tectonic and architectural in nature.

The project capitalizes on the existing form tie holes in the cast concrete walls of the courtyard, weaving rope through the voids to produce a canopy of urban dimensions– giving shelter, shade, and a new scale to the courtyard. If the main courtyard is covered by the canopy -or Nube De Cuerdathen the ancillary courtyard is reserved for the beach, a urban room filled with sand and exposed to the sun. The sand is filled and pushed against the northwest edge of the room, using the concrete walls to retain the newly installed beach, producing a sand dune that is  oriented back towards the institution and the activities it holds.

Credits:
Project Design: Monica Ponce De Leon, Nader Tehrani
Project Team: Kristen Giannattasio, Tali Buchler, Hansy Luz Better, Christine Mueller