Afterparty at MoMA PS1

Project Details

Project Description

From the Architects:

Afterparty is a summer pavilion in the courtyard of MoMA PS1. Poking above the exterior fortified concrete walls are a series of tall, hut-like chimneys with shaggy thatched skin on their outsides and reflective aluminum fabric on their insides. The pavilion is an aggregated system of spaces that performs both visually and functionally to produce microclimates through the shade of its thatched roof and the vertical stack performance of its tall, conical geometry.

Cool air from the courtyard's shaded concrete walls is drawn up through the shaggy chimneys using the stack effect, and an evaporative mist sprayed from the exterior thatched surface further cools the space. It is a perpetual breeze-making machine, cooling down the visitors. A complex structural arch system defining hyperbolic surfaces is juxtaposed with a rough thatched roof reminiscent of Bernard Rudofsky’s Architecture without Architects. This juxtaposition is part of a search for new promiscuities, new methods of design, after a party of high-formalism that dominated academic discourse at the time. Afterparty looks toward more primitive states of architecture.

One thing about the “Afterparty,” as we’re calling it, is the need to look for new promiscuities, new methods of design after the party of a sort of high-formalism that has dominated academic discourse of late. In this particular case, it’s with the basic structural arch and dome geometries, with rough, base materiality, and with the production of a totalizing “environment,” (literally cooling down the courtyard through the stack effect) looking toward a more primitive state of architecture. From Wikipedia: "An afterparty, after-party, or after party is a gathering that occurs after a party, a music concert, a premiere or the closure of a nightclub." An afterparty may provide additional social opportunities for people who 6/28/2018 MOS Architects http://www.mos.nyc/project/moma-ps1-afterparty 2/2 do not want to return to their respective homes. The main purpose of the afterparty is to provide a relaxing environment, as compared to the earlier venue, where the atmosphere is usually more frenetic. During an afterparty people often sit down, relax, and chat freely, meeting new people in a more controlled setting. If the original party continued until late at night, the afterparty will often include a morning snack, which usually counts as breakfast. . . . Possibly in contrast to relaxation, the afterparty can provide a chance to get away from the eyes overseeing the main party. This tends to be more common in events where alcohol consumption is not allowed,such as school balls, and provides a location where partygoers are allowed to drink. In this case, the afterparty may turn out to be more lively than the main party, as the people are freed from the restrictions that were placed on them during the main party.

Project Team: Michael Meredith, Hilary Sample, Matthew Allen, Heather Bizon, Michael Faciejew, Jose Miguel Ahedo Fernandez, Darby Foreman, Steven Gertner, Jerome Haferd, Maciej Kaczynski, Yair Keshet, Jason Kim, Taekyoung Lee, Ryan Ludwig, William Macfarlane, Patrick McGowen, Miriam Peterson, Zachary Snyder
Consulting Engineer: Nathaniel Stanton, Erik Verboon, Buro-Happold
Structural Engineer: Eric Hines, Le Messurier Consultants
Photographer: Florian Holzherr