by Center for Architecture
After a three-year hiatus, Pumpkitecture, Archtober’s annual pumpkin carving competition, rose from the depths and returned to the Center for Architecture on Friday, October 28. This year’s contest brought together 17 New York City-based design firms (and an AIANY TORCH Mentorship Program team) as they went gourd to gourd to compete for the prized Pritzerpumpkin.
While the Center for Architecture provided a standard set of pumpkin carving tools, firms were encouraged to bring additional (non-flammable and non-hazardous) tools and materials. After an hour and 15 minutes of carving, our dreaded jury picked from the wretched patch of jealous jack-o-lanterns and selected longtime competitor Architecture Research Office as the winner of the evening’s highest honors. The jury also generously bestowed several Pathetic Consolations (Honorable Mentions) upon other, lesser teams. Meanwhile, our drab and dreary audience cast their ballots to nominate Andrew Franz Architect as the winner of the People’s Pumpkin.
Awards
Pritzkerpumpkin – Architecture Research Office (Pumpkin Research Office) for their disco-inspired dancing pumpqueen
People’s Pumpkin – Andrew Franz Architect (Aaaaaah-ndrew Franz Architect) for Grotto-esque, an illuminated underwater world
Pathetic Consolations (Honorable Mentions)
Under(water)world – also to Andrew Franz Architect
Most Gourdgeous – Quennell Rothschild & Partners (QReePy) for their Spotted Jack-o-Lantern, a timely and beautiful reminder of the horrors of unnatural nature
Gooiest Grout –Weiss/Manfredi (2001: A Spooky Odyssey) for their uncanny replica of the bedroom from Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey
Even Better than the Real Thing – DLR Group (DLR Gruel) for their curibita copy of Little Island
Spookiest Peephole – Raad Studio (Rat Studio) for their pumpkin peephole
Other teams who joined the fun included:
AIANY TORCH Mentorship Program (Less is Gore) with a squash model of the Barcelona Pavilion
Architecture in Formation (Architecture in Damnation) with a restitched pumpkin
HLB Lighting Design (Dia de los Submittals) with a pumpkin play on light
ikon.5 architects (ikon.5oul snatchers) with a Yayoi Kusama-inspired mirror pumpkin
Jen Lewin Studio (WODUMBO, Witches of Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) with their stylish lighting fixture
Laura Heim Architect (Spookyside Studio) with a reproduction of the TWA terminal
Lutron (Bippity Boppity BOO!) with a Cinderella-themed pumpkin
MdeAS Architects (Monsters of Arms and Skeletons) with an exploded pumpkin
Mitchell Giurgola (Murderous Gurgling) with a series of hanging light pumpkins
Rafael Viñoly Architects (Rafael Unholy Architects) with a mad architect pumpkin
Robert A.M. Stern Architects (FrankenSTERN) with a reattached Frankenpumpkin
Thornton Tomasetti (Thorn in my Spaghetti) with their squash construction site
Our most blood curdling congratulations to the winners and thanks to all participating firms and our jury for a wonderful evening!
Andrew Bernheimer, FAIA, Principal, Bernheimer Architecture
Maisie Broome, Founder, MYFAWNWY
Dungjai Pungauthaikan, Partner, Once–Future Office