339 Lafayete aka the Peace Pentagon with signs for the exhibition of competition results.

Peace Pentagon: A Call to Action

The competition Brief

  • "Our wish for the building is to build a peace center, not just to be in the location, but to use our location to embody the spirit of the social justice movement and project it outward, as well as nurturing it from within," Maria Byck, Paper Tiger Television, 3rd Floor Tenant

    The Peace Pentagon Competition is a project for a living community and has been shaped by its need to balance limited resources, values, and priorities. The current condition of the building requires that action must be taken, to protect the value of this asset. We are seeking proposals for the building’s future that provide for the needs of its users in a dynamic way. The challenge is to develop a visionary plan that can be accomplished on a limited budget.

    • Jury

    Markus Schulte, Ove Arup, New York.

    Deborah Gans, architect and principal at Studio Gans.

    DeeDee Haleck, media activist, founder of Paper Tiger Television and co-founder of the Deep Dish Satellite Network.

    Martha Rosler, artist and writer whose work explores the role of media, architecture and the built environment.

    Karla Rothstein, architect, Latent Productions.

    Nato Thompson, chief curator at Creative Time.

    William Menking, architectural historian, writer and curator, founder of The Architect’s Newspaper

    Michael Sorkin, urban designer and principal, Michael Sorkin Studio.


    Awards

    ATP Sphere GmbH, Innsbuck, Austria, First Prize, (1 of 3),US$2,333.00.
    Maureen Connor/ Institute for Wishful Thinking, New York, USA, First Prize (1 of 3),
    US$ 2,333.00.
    Benoit Streicher, Michel Sikorski, Strasbourg, France, First Prize (1 of 3), US$ 2,333.00.
    Sergey Pospelov, Vladimir Belskiy, Ildar Valishin & Elena Fedorova, Moscow, Russia, Third Prize (1 of 2), US$ 500.00.
    Graham Thompson, Dublin, Ireland, Third Prize (1 of 2), US$ 500.00.

    read more: peacepentagoncompetition.net/award.html

    Authors

    Nandini Bagchee
    Maureen Shea

    The Peace Pentagon was an iconic building, which served as the headquarters for a community of peace and justice organizations. In 2008, the building was in danger of being sold. The competition broadened the circle of concern by inviting a worldwide constituency to consider how the building could become more active in the community’s work. 128 entries were submitted.

    The theme of re-connecting the Peace Pentagon with its neighborhood was expressed through a parade to Storefront for Art and Architecture for a launch party, interactive maps of NYC peace actions, a public presentation at the Center for Architecture.

    An 80′ lettering installation announced the exhibition of competition entries, “How Can a Building Mobilize for Peace and Justice?” The exhibition was held at the NYPL Mulberry St Branch, McNally Jackson Books, ABC No Rio, and Common Room.

    Funding for Peace Pentagon: A Call to action was provided by the Fund For Creative Communities and the Manhattan Community Arts Fund.