MOMA PS1's "Wendy" named one of the Best Buildings of 2012 by Architizer

Wendy, spotted this summer during the Warm Up where Thom Yorke DJ’d the night away

Architizer, a database of architecture online, has compiled its Best Buildings of 2012 list and Wendy – MOMA PS1’s winner of their annual Young Architects Program (YAP) competition – has made the cut as best temporary building of 2012. It was designed by HWKN (Hollwich Kushner) and was installed for the 2012 Warm Up season at PS1.

More about Wendy:

The project, Wendy, opening to the public at MoMA PS1 in Long Island City on July 1, 2012, is an experiment that tests how far the boundaries of architecture can expand to create ecological and social effect. Wendy is composed of fabric treated with a ground breaking titania nanofilm to neutralize airborne pollutants. During the summer of 2012, Wendy will clean the air to an equivalent of taking 260 cars off the road.

Wendy’s boundary is defined by tools like shade, wind, rain, music, and visual identity to reach past the confines of physical limits. Spiky fabric arms shoot out blasts of cool air, music, and water (via cannons and mists) to create social zones throughout the courtyard.

We think it sort of looks like an alien creature in a cage – very Star Trek.

As far as the Best Buildings list goes, there were a number of winners in Asia (this building, Gardens by the Bay in Singapore, is pretty amazing), Australia, and Europe, as well as winners in Houston, TX (Twilight Epiphany at Rice University) and Eugene, OR (Nike “Victory Camp”). Wendy is the only selection on the east coast. Congratulations, MOMA PS1!

Welcome Wendy! First Photos of the 2012 MoMA PS1 Young Architects Program [Architizer]
The Year In Architecture: Best Buildings Of 2012 – Temporary [Architizer]
Thom Yorke braves the rain to wrap up PS1′s Warm Up season [QNYC]