The Architectural League of New York and Socrates Sculpture Park have announced New York–based firm Eva Jensen Design in collaboration with Laufs Engineering Design, as the winners of the 2017 Folly/Function competition. Launched in 2012 as an examination of architectural follies, the competition requests a large-scale project with utilitarian purpose for public exhibition at the park. This year, the competition challenged designers to create four portable and deployable canopy structures.
The winning proposal, Circle Shade - 2πR4, features three main components—a circular canopy, aluminum support poles, and cylindrical drum counter weights. The canopy connects to the poles with custom 3D-printed joint nodes, giving park-goers the ability to adjust the canopies for variable pitches. The drum counter weights, which anchor each structure, have dual functionality as seating, display surfaces, or step stools.
The proposal was selected by a jury of six architecture and __design luminaries including Tatiana Bilbao (Tatiana Bilbao ESTUDIO), Eric Bunge (nARCHITECTS), Mary Miss (City as Living Laboratory), Craig Schwitter (BuroHappold Engineering), Hayes Slade (Slade Architecture), and John Hatfield (Socrates Sculpture Park). Circle Shade - 2πR4 will officially debut to the public on June 21, 2017, during Socrates Sculpture Park’s annual summer solstice celebration.
New York firm Hou de Sousa was named last year's winner for their entry, Sticks.