OK, it’s not what you think: P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center just announced its selection for this summer’s Young Architects Program, and it’s the Brooklyn-based firm SO-IL, for its piece Pole Dance. According to P.S.1, the objective of the annual 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.” We like to think of it as what sets the mood for its Warm Up music series, and SO-IL’s interconnected system of poles and bungees should make for some interesting moments. Watch the video after the jump and let us know if you agree.
Our friends at Unbeige have the details on the project:
Throughout the courtyard, groups of 25-foot-tall poles on 12 x 12-foot grids connected by bungee cords whose elasticity will cause the poles to gently sway, creating a steady ripple throughout the courtyard space. Each grid contains a number of playful activators, such as hammocks, pulls, misters, and rain collecting plants. An open net covering the entire scope of the grid system will provide shelter and stabilize the movement of the poles, preventing them from exceeding a predetermined maximum pivot. A generous series of multi-colored balls will move above the net offering mutable shade and the appearance of a communal game. Dropping down at two points, the net will surround a pool and a sandpit.
So, what do you think? Can this live up to MOS’s “Bedouin tent”-inspired caves from last summer? Frankly, they kind of freaked us out — it was like they were alive.
MOS, afterparty ©2009 P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center
MOS, afterparty ©2009 P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center
MOS, afterparty ©2009 P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center