This fourth-year architectural urbanism studio at the Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture of The Cooper Union was a study of the city plans of Rome, Berlin, and New York. The goal was to propose a 21st Century civic institution and define its siting in the city with historic significance. The studio was conducted in the aftermath of a monumental urban event: The assignment was given to the students on September 7th, 2001. Four days later, on September 11th, all of the participants in the class witnessed the destruction of the World Trade Center, whether seen from the roof of the Cooper Union building or within the streets of New York.

Each student and faculty member proceeded to address the civic space of architecture at the scale of the city, past, present, and future, for one semester. There is only one project specifically proposed for the Ground Zero site in New York. But the subject as a whole can be seen as an address to the question. It is motivated toward the creation of civic space with inventive program. As the city is now open for redefinition, the project addresses the future conscience necessary to solve the problems posed. The proposed institutions integrate an understanding of the relation between form, site, and program within a literary vision of the possibility of the city.

The work of the studio was selected by the American Institute of Architects to represent the USA at the 2002 UIA World Congress of Architecture in Berlin. The book Rome Berlin New York was published by The Cooper Union to present the work of the studio and complement the exhibition. It includes essays by Professor Diane Lewis, Professor Peter Schubert, Professor Georg Windeck.

Category: Exhibition, Publication
Location: Rome, Berlin, New York
Year: 2002
Collaboration: Diane Lewis, Peter Schubert, Georg Windeck