Master Plan Zones (Courtesy of MoMA)
Cities by sea such as Amsterdam, Venice and New York are just a few examples of cultured urban centers that share a common dilemma: Rising waters due to global climate change.
Fortunately, sea levels are not the only rising force on our blue-green planet.
International initiative to address the problem is manifesting as a strong shared attitude. In fact, the nature of the issue gives the refreshing luxury of looking beyond the boundaries of traditional urban planning. In New York City, groundbreaking steps toward devising solutions include taking an interdisciplinary approach.
Specifically the disciplines of art, architecture and ecology.
Through October 11, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is showing “Rising Currents: Project’s for New York’s Waterfront,” an exhibit that poses climate change solutions through pioneering architectural design. With an artistic influence to the exhibit’s aesthetics and an ecological influence to the concepts presented, at MoMA, the urgent topic of infrastructure is anything but dull.
The museum serves as more than a high-profile venue for the multifaceted display. After collaborating with P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center, MoMA instigated and facilitated the process that brought the eco-exhibit to life.
Completed in eight weeks, the work of five teams focused on five geographic zones linked to New York Harbor including the coasts of both New York and New Jersey. Identified in the exhibit as Zone 0-4, “Rising Tides” bridges the gap between practical and visionary with new models that strive to facilitate “natural self perpetuating infrastructure” intended to work with nature.
However, “Rising Currents” is much more than a fusion of disciplines.
A critical exhibition of regional significance, it is the first in a series of five and features local architectural design solutions with global impact (aka “Glocal”). A compelling project, “Rising Currents” also promotes the sub-culture where the creative arts foster social change and connect people to the issues. The exhibit’s accompanying blog provides an inspiring interactive forum open for public participation and the project as whole is sure to catch the eye of influential policy-makers.
Or at least it should.
While stimulus money is aiming for a quick fix on all fronts, this collision of ecology and design comes at a time when the lull in the construction industry gives unemployed yet nevertheless talented architects downtime in a down economy to visualize feasible and sustainable development for the future. With about 50% of the world’s population living in water surrounded urban centers, the time to rethink and ultimately revamp existing infrastructure is now.
Oyster Reef (By SCAPE: Courtesy of MoMA)
This exhibit marks a projected sea level rise of two feet by 2080, however striving to work with rising water levels is a new paradigm for dealing with inevitable effects of Mother Nature’s changing climate. In “Rising Currents” a few solutions include methods to creating a ”variegated shoreline,” “greening” the streets of Manhattan to absorb excess water, placement of an artificial glass reef base to enable a natural marine reef to develop and re-cultivating lost oyster populations since the little creatures filter water and serve as a natural wave break.
These innovative concepts are but a select few of the proposed solutions that “Rising Currents: Project’s for New York’s Waterfront” has to offer. The unabridged presentation requires a trip to the Museum of Modern Art to support a movement where museums capitalize on connections to culture and access to creative talent to address matters that are most urgent to society.
Candi Sterling is a NYC/Hudson Valley based journalist, performing artist and lifestyle consultant passionate about contemporary culture, social entrepreneurship and sustainability.
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Master Plan Zones (Courtesy of MoMA)
Cities by sea such as Amsterdam, Venice and New York are just a few examples of cultured urban centers that share a common dilemma: Rising waters due to global climate change.
Fortunately, sea levels are not the only rising force on our blue-green planet.
International initiative to address the problem is manifesting as a strong shared attitude. In fact, the nature of the issue gives the refreshing luxury of looking beyond the boundaries of traditional urban planning. In New York City, groundbreaking steps toward devising solutions include taking an interdisciplinary approach.
Specifically the disciplines of art, architecture and ecology.
Through October 11, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is showing “Rising Currents: Project’s for New York’s Waterfront,” an exhibit that poses climate change solutions through pioneering architectural design. With an artistic influence to the exhibit’s aesthetics and an ecological influence to the concepts presented, at MoMA, the urgent topic of infrastructure is anything but dull.
The museum serves as more than a high-profile venue for the multifaceted display. After collaborating with P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center, MoMA instigated and facilitated the process that brought the eco-exhibit to life.
Completed in eight weeks, the work of five teams focused on five geographic zones linked to New York Harbor including the coasts of both New York and New Jersey. Identified in the exhibit as Zone 0-4, “Rising Tides” bridges the gap between practical and visionary with new models that strive to facilitate “natural self perpetuating infrastructure” intended to work with nature.
However, “Rising Currents” is much more than a fusion of disciplines.
A critical exhibition of regional significance, it is the first in a series of five and features local architectural design solutions with global impact (aka “Glocal”). A compelling project, “Rising Currents” also promotes the sub-culture where the creative arts foster social change and connect people to the issues. The exhibit’s accompanying blog provides an inspiring interactive forum open for public participation and the project as whole is sure to catch the eye of influential policy-makers.
Or at least it should.
While stimulus money is aiming for a quick fix on all fronts, this collision of ecology and design comes at a time when the lull in the construction industry gives unemployed yet nevertheless talented architects downtime in a down economy to visualize feasible and sustainable development for the future. With about 50% of the world’s population living in water surrounded urban centers, the time to rethink and ultimately revamp existing infrastructure is now.
Oyster Reef (By SCAPE: Courtesy of MoMA)
This exhibit marks a projected sea level rise of two feet by 2080, however striving to work with rising water levels is a new paradigm for dealing with inevitable effects of Mother Nature’s changing climate. In “Rising Currents” a few solutions include methods to creating a ”variegated shoreline,” “greening” the streets of Manhattan to absorb excess water, placement of an artificial glass reef base to enable a natural marine reef to develop and re-cultivating lost oyster populations since the little creatures filter water and serve as a natural wave break.
These innovative concepts are but a select few of the proposed solutions that “Rising Currents: Project’s for New York’s Waterfront” has to offer. The unabridged presentation requires a trip to the Museum of Modern Art to support a movement where museums capitalize on connections to culture and access to creative talent to address matters that are most urgent to society.
Related Media
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.