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P.S. 1 Debuts "Pole Dance," Young Architects Program Winner

John Del Signore

Published Jun 25, 2010

Modified Jun 25, 2010

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John Del Signore

Published Jun 25, 2010

Modified Jun 25, 2010

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Yesterday P.S. 1 unveiled this year's Young Architects Program courtyard installation. The big design project serves as party central for the popular Warm Up music series, which kicks off July 3rd and marks the official start of summer for the North American Pale Skinned Hipster. 2010's winner is "Pole Dance," a "participatory environment that reframes the conceptual relationship between humankind and structure." In other words, there are giant balls for you to swat and bendy poles that make musical tones when you shake them. Like a giant cat toy, but for stoned humans.

The winning firm is Solid Objectives - Idenburg Liu (SO - IL), and it's a major coup for them, as the Young Architects Program is regarded in the architecture world as a "kingmaker" of sorts. Now in its 11th year, the program is now focusing on designs which address sustainability, recycling, and reuse. SO - IL got an $85,000 budget for the installation, and designed "an interconnected system of poles and bungees whose equilibrium is open to human action and environmental factors."

Needless to say, photographer Katie Sokoler loves it, and reports, "The installation is basically a giant playground for adults that encourages interaction. Many of the activities can't be done alone so that you're pushed to connect with other people. For example, in order to reach the balls in the net, someone must be pulling down on one of the poles. If you shake one of the poles it makes a sound but if multiple people shake them with you it starts to sound more like song. Even one of the hammocks was a bit too high so that you would need help from someone to hop up on it!"Helpsters, you are going to get so much tail at this thing.

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John Del Signore

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Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

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