About
Grand Army Plaza is New York City’s greatest unrealized asset. To catalyze Grand Army Plaza’s rebirth, the Design Trust for Public Space, in partnership with the Grand Army Plaza Coalition, launched an international ideas competition, “Reinventing Grand Army Plaza,” to generate new visions for every aspect of the plaza’s design.
In an overwhelming show of interest in this great civic space, over 150 teams submitted innovative and exciting redesign ideas. Three prizewinning entries will be chosen by a jury; first prize is $5,000; second: $2,000; and third: $1,000. One additional prizewinner will be selected by the public in a web-based Community Choice Award competition. All award winners, along with a selection of other top entries, will be exhibited in September 2008 in an outdoor exhibition in Grand Army Plaza to be designed by the world-renown firm, Pentagram.
All questions and communication regarding any aspect of the competition or exhibition should be directed to info@reinventingGAP.org. Good luck!
Schedule
- Competition Announcement February 15, 2008
- Submission Deadline April 25, 2008
- Jury June, 2008
- Awards Ceremony September 12, 2008
- Outdoor Exhibition at Grand Army Plaza September 13 – October 14, 2008
About the Design Trust
The Design Trust for Public Space is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving New York City’s parks, plazas, streets, and public buildings. Design Trust projects enrich the urban experience for all New Yorkers by turning good design intentions into reality. We bring together neighborhoods, public agencies, and design professionals to find innovative opportunities for change, making the city more beautiful, sustainable, and available to all. To ensure that Design Trust projects become reality on city streets, we will not initiate a project without the full collaboration of the city agency or community group best situated to implement the project’s results.
About the Grand Army Plaza Coalition
The Grand Army Plaza Coalition (GAPCo) is an alliance of Brooklyn community groups and cultural organizations working together to improve Grand Army Plaza. GAPCo believes that Grand Army Plaza, despite its physical and cultural centrality to Brooklyn, misses its potential as one of the world’s great urban spaces. Many elements of great spaces — cultural institutions, abundant greenery, efficient transportation, adjacent vibrant neighborhoods — are present. However, these elements are poorly balanced, and one crucial element — people using the space — is largely missing. GAPCo believes that design and programming solutions can turn Grand Army Plaza into a properly balanced urban space.
GAPCo was formed in March 2006 by a group of committed local residents. They joined forces with major cultural institutions (principally Prospect Park, the Brooklyn Public Library, and the Heart of Brooklyn), relevant civic organizations (the Park Slope Civic Council, the Prospect Heights Neighborhood Development Council, and Community Boards 6 and 8), and advocacy groups (Transportation Alternatives, the Open Planning Project, and Project for Public Spaces).
Thanks
Reinventing Grand Army Plaza is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and the New York State Council on the Arts, a State agency. The Design Trust also offers our sincere thanks to the Double-R Foundation for their generous project sponsorship.
