MoMA selects Jenny Sabin’s solar active, knitted structure as winner of its Young Architects 2017

New York’s Museum of Modern Art and MoMA PS1 has revealed the winning proposal for its annual Young Architects Program by Jenny Sabin Studio. The installation, called Lumen, is made from recycled, lightweight, knitted fabric and features a canopy of photo-luminescent and solar active textiles “that absorb, collect and deliver light”.

Jenny’s winning design was selected from five finalists for the 18th edition of the Young Architects competition, which offers emerging architectural practitioners the chance to develop innovative projects. According to the brief, the temporary outdoor structures must provide shade, seating and water, and address environmental issues, including sustainability and recycling.

Lumen is immersive and interactive, producing a water mist that responds to the visitors’ proximity by activating “fabric stalactites that produce a refreshing micro-climate”. Intended to be socially and environmentally responsive, the multi-sensory installation will adapt throughout the day and night according to the density of bodies, heat and sunlight.

The temporary structure will be installed in the MoMA PS1 courtyard for the duration of the summer and host Warm Up, the gallery’s outdoor music event series. It opens 29 June 2017.