On land and sea, Archtober is New York City’s Architecture and Design Month ~ an annual festival of architecture activities, programs, and exhibitions taking place during the month of October. The Event now has more than 100 partners including the annual Open House New York Weekend.
This years Archtober will take visitors to Little Island, the New York Botanical Garden, Grand Central, Brooklyn Navy Yard, Little Island, Morris-Jumel Mansion Museum, Wave Hill, South Street Seaport, Museum at Eldridge Street, Merchants House Museum, Museum of Jewish Heritage, Staten Island Museum, New Canaan, Connecticut Museum & Historical Society, as well as a number of lectures & book talks.
Tour the Upper West Side, Upper East Side, Carnegie Hill, Jewish Lower East Side, The Changing Face of North Midtown and Crosstown Below the Park. Take a walk down Fifth Avenue with Village Preservation, and a walking tour of Roosevelt Island, New Town, Cornell Tech and Four Freedoms Park. Have fun at Battery Playscape on October 19th. Be sure to check the entire calendar of events.
Below are just a few that caught our eye during Archtober 2022, beginning on October 1st.
October 1, 2022
The Design Discovery Fall 2022 series will focus on fundamental architectural design skills. Each workshop focuses on a different core lesson that will help high school students explore their interest in architecture as well as hone a skill that will be helpful for portfolio development. These workshops are open to all levels of architecture and art experience. Attend all three sessions for an opportunity to round out all skills, or just select the workshops that appeal most to you!
This session will focus on free-hand techniques for drawing architecture. Students will be introduced to some basic techniques for sketching architecture including methods of shading and rendering different materials. The class will start at the Center for Architecture with some basic lessons and sketching exercises, then will head outside (weather permitting) to practice observational on-site sketching at a site nearby. All materials will be provided. Students are welcome to bring their own sketchbook and pencils if preferred.
Discover Green-Wood Trolley Tour!
Join our expert tour guides aboard Green-Wood’s trolley to explore the Cemetery’s historic landscape and most fascinating permanent residents. If you have never been to Green-Wood, this is your opportunity to discover its 478 acres of art, history, and nature! You will tread where George Washington and his troops fought in the Battle of Brooklyn, visit the grave of one of America’s greatest artists, and much more.
Many more discoveries at Green-Wood throughout the Archtober Month.
AIANY Around Manhattan Architecture on Classic Harbor Line
Join AIANY for a 2.75 hour tour, circumnavigating the island of Manhattan.
Many more Classic Harbor Line tours throughout the Archtober Month.
October 8
El Barrio, Spanish Harlem, East Harlem, Italian Harlem. There are many names used to describe the neighborhood taking up space from 96th Street to 125th Street on Manhattan’s eastern side. This tour will ‘begin’ in the late 19th century when an influx of Sicilian, Jewish, and German immigrants moved to the area. We’ll see sites famous for their history as Manhattan’s first Little Italy and sites known for their relationship to the Genovese crime family. Then, we’ll walk south to visit and view sites significant to the Spanish-speaking community and other recent immigrant groups. Along the way we will stop to admire many of the beautiful and unique murals that dot the neighborhood.
MAS in-person tours take place outdoors, therefore masks are not required. If you prefer to wear a mask, though, we want you to feel comfortable doing so.
October 8
Walking Tour: FiDi’s Skyscrapers, Plazas, and the Impact of Zoning
Archtober is not all about eye-candy. Get serious with Midi’s Skyscrapers, Plazas, and the Impact of Zoning. Meet at the Southwest corner of Broadway and Rector St. While the Financial District is widely known for its historic architecture, it also boasts a variety of distinctive Modern buildings, many of them linked to urban design initiatives of the 1960s and ‘70s. This tour will focus on the variety of public spaces generated by zoning incentives to make the congested neighborhood more pedestrian-friendly, including “Skid(more) Row,” featuring Chase Manhattan Plaza, 140 Broadway, and One Liberty Plaza. The effect of zoning on the shape of skyscrapers will also be discussed, as will the conversion of many of these skyscrapers for residential use. Highlights include buildings by SOM, Kevin Roche, Philip Johnson, Davis Brody, and Tsao & McKown, among others. Downtown Manhattan’s signature spires of the 1930s will also be viewed en route.
October 13
Soul of the City | Music + Revolution: Greenwich Village in the 1960s
Join Archtober for a transporting evening of song and stories presented by musician and writer Richard Barone in celebration of his new book, Music + Revolution: Greenwich Village in the 1960s. This edition of Soul of the City: Live @ MCNY will feature musical performances by Barone and guest artists including Steve Addabbo,David Amram,Carolyn Hester,Terre Roche, and Suzanne Vega, reminiscences from artists who were part of the ’60s Village scene, and a slide show of the photography of David Gahr. Special guests include Delores “Dee” Dixon, Stephen Petrus, Terri Thal, andDouglas Yeager. A book signing with the author of Music + Revolutionwill follow.
In this class you’ll learn about on-the-fly composition techniques and how to capture engaging photos of people, buildings, and public spaces.
Please note that this class runs rain or shine, so please dress appropriately. Please bring your own digital camera fully charged, with plenty of battery power and available memory, to the class.
October 14
Neue Galerie Archtober Filmbar Special: Bauhaus His/Herstories
In celebration of Archtober, Neue Galerie New York is delighted to present a special Archtober Filmbar with a series of documentaries and feature films highlighting different aspects of one of the most influential architecture schools of the 20th century: The Bauhaus. Join us on a journey from the movement’s dedication to formalistic perfectionism to its impact on the rise of female stars who are literally—and figuratively—changing the landscape. Filmbar tickets include one complimentary drink and snack, and a movie screening in Café Fledermaus, a relaxed bar atmosphere reminiscent of early 20th century Vienna. During the screening, you are invited to sip on a glass of wine, beer or a non-alcoholic beverage and enjoy a savory treat.
October 18
Making Beautiful Trouble: A Workshop on Creative Activism at Cooper Hewitt
Are you curious about how to make change in your community? Are you looking for ways to creatively challenge the status quo? Do you want to join in envisioning the future we want to live in through peace and justice? Join us for this workshop with Beautiful Trouble exploring the role of design in creating change through projects featured in the exhibition Designing Peace.
The workshop will introduce you to Beautiful Trouble’s tactics and techniques of creative activism. Using the Beautiful Trouble toolbox and other participatory games, participants will brainstorm and develop unique ways to support peace and justice. As part of the workshop, Cynthia E. Smith, Curator of Socially Responsible Design, will provide an overview of Designing Peace. Participants are encouraged to view the exhibition in advance of the workshop.
A Queer History of the Women’s House of Detention
Hugh Ryan, historian and author of The Women’s House of Detention: A Queer History of a Forgotten Prison, sheds light on this Greenwich Village Landmark that, from 1929 to 1974, incarcerated many women simply for the crimes of being poor and insufficiently feminine.
October 21
On October 21-23, 2022, the 20th Annual OHNY Weekend festival will take place, offering a mix of in-person experiences, self-guided explorations, and digital content for three days of education, exploration, and engagement. During the Weekend, hundreds of places—from single rooms, studios, factories, and public spaces to entire buildings, blocks, bike corridors, and waterways—open up across the five boroughs for tours, talks, and special programming.
Many of the places and experiences offered during OHNY Weekend are rarely accessible to the public. OHNY Weekend provides a special opportunity to peek behind the curtain, explore, and discover New York with fellow adventurers. The defining feature of OHNY Weekend is its breadth: OHNY Weekend ranks among the largest public design festivals in the nation. One of the most anticipated tours at Open House New York will be the new David Geffen Hall, home of The New York Philharmonic.
Save the date: The 2022 OHNY Weekend line-up will be shared with the general public on October 6, and reservations for in-person tours will open on October 13.
October 22
Open House at 1014 Fifth Avenue
An empty townhouse on Fifth Avenue opens its doors to the public for free building tours, talks, and an exhibiton. Find out about the past and the future of this beautiful place on October 22nd and 23rd from 11 AM until 5 PM.
October 31
Building of the Day is David Geffen Hall
The complete reimagining and transformation of David Geffen Hall reconceives the entire facility within its existing historic facades to create a more welcoming and intimate audience experience. The new concert hall designed by Diamond Schmitt features a curvilinear design with state-of-the-art acoustics and technical capabilities, and the public spaces by Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects | Partners provide greater opportunities for audience engagement, community-gathering events, and fluid circulation throughout.
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Catch Fall Foliage Walks on October 22nd at Grace Farms.
Follow Archtober 2022 on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Also connect on Bloomberg Connects, a free arts and culture app.
Take a look-back at Archtober 2021.