Jenny Sabin Studio – Winner of MoMA PS1’s 2017 Young Architects Program

Each year I love to tell you who has won MoMA PS1’s Young Architects Program, now in its 18th year. This year’s winner is Lumen by Jenny Sabin Studio in Ithaca, NY; the installation is what you will see in PS1’s courtyard when you head in to spend a day there or hang out and dance at Warm Up (summer 2017 dates TBD).

Lumen has some great features for NYC’s hot summer climate, too—in the words of the installation’s creators: “By night, Lumen is knitted light, bathing visitors in a responsive glow of photo-luminescence; by day, Lumen offers succor from the summer heat, immersing participants in delicious ground clouds of cooling mist.”

The always awesome Arch Daily published their succinct summary of the winning installation:

Made of responsive tubular structures in a lightweight knitted fabric, Lumen features a canopy of recycled, photo-luminescent, and solar active textiles that absorb, collect, and deliver light. A misting system responds to visitors’ proximity, activating fabric stalactites that produce a refreshing micro-climate. Socially and environmentally responsive, Lumen’s multisensory environment is inspired by collective levity, play, and interaction as the structure and materials transform throughout the day and night, adapting to the densities of bodies, heat, and sunlight.

Jenny Sabin Studio expands on this description on their website. They’ve also had a great video of the project put together:

Sustainability and recycling are a big part of the Young Architects Program competition, something Lumen proudly incorporates. Here are the other YAP finalist entries, too.

Lumen opens June 27, 2017. Jenny Sabin Studio can be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.