urbancanvas Design Competition, or beautifying temporary protective structures

Urban Umbrella urbanSHED

In February, we reported about the urbanSHED International Design Competition on exhibit at the AIANYC Gallery on La Guardia Place. Three proposals were selected as finalists: Tripod MOD(ule) (XChange Architects with Ex Nihilo Studio, Rider Levett Bucknall, and Weidlinger Associates), urbanCLOUD (KNEstudio with Arup), and Urban Umbrella (Young Hwan Choi, University of Pennsylvania student, with Agencie Group). urbanSHED was sponsored by several local institutions including three City agencies: Department of Buildings, Department of City Planning, and Department of Transportation.

Green Screen urbancanvas design via nyc.gov (source)

In June, the Department of Buildings and the Department of Cultural Affairs with support from The Rockefeller Foundation announced the urbancanvas Design Competition. Urbancanvas goes beyond urbanSHED in the number of structures it aims to beautify. Four (construction fences, sidewalk sheds, supported scaffolds, and cocoons) instead of one (sidewalk sheds).

There are eight finalists and you can vote for your favorite design starting today until October 1, 2010 5:00PM (EST). The four designs with the highest number of votes will be available to building owners with temporary protective structures located on or over City-owned property via the urbancanvas Pilot Program.  The City has developed a How and When to Use Artwork at Construction Sites guide for building owners.

Don't forget to vote!

[Hat tip: WSJ Metropolis]