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If you're equal parts sugar fiend and architecture junkie, we may have just found your dream holiday destination. The Gingerbread City is bringing its winter magic and sweetness back to the Seaport for a free display from December 5–28 at 19 Fulton Street for a series of hands-on workshops.
You can learn how to make your own gingerbread creations at workshops hosted by the pros. Alongside the workshops, there's a mini gingerbread village made by New York-based architects, engineers and designers, so you know these creations are going to be immaculate. Expect to see city parks, brownstones and skyscrapers created out of cookies, icing and candy.
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The gingerbread display incorporates not only city structures, but also uses elements like water, snow and ice to create winter wonderland scenes. You can see miniature penguins crossing over bridges onto chunks of ice and frozen waterfalls running through villages. Snowmen, gummy bears and reindeer hanging out in front of lit-up storefronts. A mini Santa even hangs off a gingerbread skyscraper.
Created by London's Museum of Architecture (MoA), The Gingerbread City brings an imaginative architectural twist to the classic gingerbread house—sparking conversations about how we live, design and build our cities. Now in its ninth year in London and second year in New York, the pop-up experience is designed to encourage all ages to see architecture and design in a new (and delicious) way.
For this year's display, NYC expert architects include David Ling Architect, Jenny Peysin Architecture, M. Todd Studio Architecture, Rise Projects, Crina Architecture, Rachael Stollar, Yellow House Architects, Beyer Blinder Belle and Daniela Monroy. They worked with the assistance of Gendo, an AI platform that turns sketches and early models into photorealistic images in seconds. At the event, Gendo will even debut a "Gingerbread Button," which lets visitors transform themselves into gingerbread people.
If you feel inspired by seeing the professionals' work, you can build and decorate your own gingerbread house to take home. The Gingerbread City will host a hands-on, hour-long workshops for all ages. While visiting the display is free, workshops are ticketed and cost $139 per house (suitable for up to four people). You'll get a chance to build your own community center inspired by this year's theme, "The Playful City" which asks, "What would our city look like if joy, curiosity and imagination led the design?"
All gingerbread kits are freshly hand-made to order by NYC's own Padoca Bakery, ensuring every creation makes a beautiful, festive centerpiece to take home. Padoca will also operate a treat counter with NYC yellow taxi cookies and NYC-themed gingerbread characters. Plus, you can visit The Gingerbread Café by Willett’s with festive lattes and hot chocolate for kids.
"The Gingerbread City brings people together through creativity, design and a little bit of festive magic," Melissa Woolford, founder and director of the MoA, said in a statement. "New York has such incredible creative energy and this year we're thrilled to invite families and friends to not only see amazing gingerbread designs but to make their very own."
The Gingerbread City is on view for free on weekdays (10am-5pm) and weekends (9am-6:30pm) from December 5 to December 28 at 19 Fulton Street in the Seaport. You can book the gingerbread house-making workshops here.