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Every year, The Museum of Modern Art’s Young Architects Program selects one lucky up-and-coming architectural firm to create a pavilion for MoMA PS1 in Long Island City, Queens to serve as a festive centerpiece during its annual “Warm Up” series, which runs July through August with a roster of hot musical talents. The winner of this summer’s YAP is the Mexico City design team of Ana Paula Ruiz Galindo & Mecky Reuss, who go by the name Pedro & Juana. Their piece is titled Hórama Rama and practically screams, “Welcome to the jungle!”
Presented is 40-foot-high, 90-foot-wide cyclorama structure lined on the inside by an immersive 360 degree view of a rainforest; the exterior, meanwhile, is covered by a facade of wooden slats that jut out like the quills of a porcupine. Adding to the tropical vibe is water feature: A sort of oversize shower head creating a waterfall that drops into a catch basin below. The piece straddles a wall separating the courtyard from one of the gravel-floored, roofless galleries that MoMA PS1 uses for outdoor art. There’s also seating provided by scores of movable wooden stools that can be configured for performances.
The Young Architects Program is now in its 20th year of cooling off and delighting “Warm Up” revelers with fanciful installations that are selected from a pool of 50 applicants judged by a jury of architectural scholars and professionals, and winners from previous years. Hórama Rama opens June 28 and will remain on view until September 2.