P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center: P.S.1 Newspaper 2009 Fall: Q&A with the YAP Jury: Barry Bergdoll

2009 Fall

Q&A with the YAP Jury: Barry Bergdoll

This article refers to the P.S.1 exhibition YAP 10th Anniversary Review

Part of the criteria for the Young Architects Program is a consideration of sun, shade, water, dancing and seating for P.S.1’s blockbuster summer music program, WarmUp. The jury committee comprised of both P.S.1 and MoMA staff, was asked five questions about their insights, experiences, and observations from the past ten years.

P.S.1: What do you find to be the most particular characteristics of the young architects of the past ten years?

Barry Bergdoll, The Philip Johnson Chief Curator of Architecture and Design, MoMA: The past ten years have been ones of astounding experiment. Working with digital prototyping and CNC cutting has been a commonplace of certain schools but in the early 2000s, it was P.S.1 and YAP that really gave young architects the chance to try their ideas at full scale and in real models. It is a great bridge between the world of the studio and the world of practice.

P.S.1: When do you think an installation has been/is most successful?

BB: It’s successful when the installation has engaged the courtyard in a way that transforms the experience of the building, of the music program, and of the summer.

P.S.1: Have you seen a change in the field of architecture due to the influence of the YAP program? How have you seen it evolve?

BB: YAP has followed the revolution in parametric and digital design, the return to tectonics and making, and now the emergence of issues of recycling, sustainability, and new materials. This is where you look to see what way the climate is changing.

P.S.1: How has the competition affected both P.S.1 and MoMA?

BB: For too long young talent was not on view in N.Y.—young practitioners worked on small commissions in obscure places for private individuals, or they formed small studios and got the occasional interior job. With YAP they got a chance to design on their own.

P.S.1: Where do you hope the competition will go in the next ten years? In your opinion, how should it move forward and grow?

BB: As in all other domains in the current crisis, it’s time to think more broadly and to rethink fundamentals. I hope we can push designers to engage in creative ways with crucial issues that architectural design has taken on in order to retain its place at the table.

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