CODA announced as 2013 YAP winner

The Museum of Modern Art and MoMA PS1 have announced Ithaca-based architecture studio CODA as the winner of the annual Young Architects Program (YAP) in New York. Titled Party Wall, CODA's winning installation project is a flexible, experimental space made of reclaimed wood, a large-scale pavilion that features a series of micro-stages for performances of varying types and scales.

The structure's wooden façade clads a self-supporting steel frame, which is balanced in place by large fabric containers filled with water. The wooden panels of the façade were donated by Comet, a manufacturer of eco-friendly skateboards. The lower part of the façade — 120 panels — is detachable, and can be used to form benches and communal tables during different kinds of events.

Water is also a fundamental element of the installation: under the structure, pools of water serve as cooling stations that can also be covered to provide additional staging space or a shaded area from the direct sunlight. Party Wall carries a stream of water along to the top, projecting it via a pressure-tank into a fountain that feeds a misting station and a series of pools. The polyester base fabric water-filled "pillows" that keep the structure in place will be lit at night for a striking effect.

"CODA's proposal was selected because of its clever identification and use of locally available resources — the waste products of skateboard-making — to make an impactful and poetic architectural statement within MoMA PS1's courtyard," said MoMA Architecture and Design Curator Pedro Gadanho. "Party Wall arches over the various available spaces, activating them for different purposes, while making evident that even the most unexpected materials can always be reinvented to originate architectural form and its ability to communicate with the public."

"CODA developed an outstanding, iconic design that will support the many social functions connected to our large-scale group exhibition EXPO 1: New York," stated Director of MoMA PS1 and Chief Curator at Large at MoMA Klaus Biesenbach, "while creating a unique and stunning object for our outdoor galleries."

Now in its 14th edition, the Young Architects Program at MoMA and MoMA PS1 offers emerging architectural talent the opportunity to design and present innovative projects, challenging young studios to design a temporary, outdoor installation at MoMA PS1 that provides shade, seating, and water. The architects must also work within guidelines that address environmental issues, including sustainability and recycling. The other finalists for this year's MoMA PS1 Young Architects Program were Leong Leong, Moorhead & Moorhead, TempAgency, and French 2D.