The Museum of Modern Art and MoMA PS1 jointly present the MoMA PS1 Young Architects Program (YAP), an annual series of competitions that gives emerging architects the opportunity to build projects conceived for MoMA PS1's facility in Long Island City, Queens. In 2011, during the 12th edition of the Young Architects Program, MoMA and MoMA PS1 partnered with another institution, MAXXI in Rome, to create the first international edition of the Young Architects Program. In this new format two projects are selected, one to inhabit MoMA P... Read more

The Museum of Modern Art and MoMA PS1 jointly present the MoMA PS1 Young Architects Program (YAP), an annual series of competitions that gives emerging architects the opportunity to build projects conceived for MoMA PS1’s facility in Long Island City, Queens. In 2011, during the 12th edition of the Young Architects Program, MoMA and MoMA PS1 partnered with another institution, MAXXI in Rome, to create the first international edition of the Young Architects Program. In this new format two projects are selected, one to inhabit MoMA PS1’s courtyard and another to compliment MAXXI’s celebrated, new building designed by Zaha Hadid.

Established in 2000, the Young Architects Program was designed to solidify the affiliation between The Museum of Modern Art and MoMA PS1. Glenn Lowry, Director of The Museum of Modern Art stated, “This inaugural project in the Young Architects Program is the epitome of what MoMA PS1 Founding Director Alanna Heiss and I hoped to accomplish by merging our two organizations. It not only furthers our curatorial mission, identifying and providing an outlet for emerging young talent, it aims to give something back to the community that has been so supportive of us.”

The objective of the project is to provide visitors with an outdoor recreational area for the summer-a much-needed refuge in an urban environment-making the best use of the pre-existing space and available materials. The architects follow a program with a tight budget, and are involved in every aspect of the design, development, and construction of the project. The site, MoMA PS1’s large triangular entrance courtyard and outdoor sculpture area, is an integral part of the museum’s popular music concert series, Warm Up, which features experimental music, live bands, and DJs. The site is open to visitors throughout the summer.

To choose an architect for this project, deans of architecture schools and the editors of architecture publications nominate some twenty students, recent architectural school graduates, and established architects experimenting with new styles or techniques. The group is asked to submit portfolios of their work for review by a panel comprised of Mr. Lowry, MoMA PS1 Director Klaus Biesenbach, and a host of experts in the art and architecture community. The panel selects three finalists who are invited to make preliminary proposals for the designated site; the chosen winner is announced in February.