Award for Faith Community Civic Engagement: Visual Arts, Performing Art, and Other Creative Collaborations
Joshua Zinder Architecture + Design, LLC
Princeton, NJ
A sukkah is a temporary, hut-like dwelling originally built by the Jews during the 40 years of travel in the wilderness after the exodus from Egypt, and they are built every year for the Jewish holiday, Sukkot — a weeklong autumn holiday that is a time to appreciate the shelter of our homes and bodies. Sukkahs represent the fragility of life. It is encouraged to spend as much time as possible in the sukkah, at minimum eating meals there and inviting loved ones inside. It is considered a Mitzvah, or good deed, to have guests commune with you in your sukkah.
The idea for a community Sukkah Village was developed and executed over a period of four years. A design competition was held for architecture students and firms. The teams designed Kosher sukkah and were provided a stipend to construct them. The sukkah had to be transportable and demountable for easy storage. The design had to allow the inhabitants to connect with nature, provide shade, and draw the eye towards the sky. Ten teams partnered with 19 non-profit organizations to draw attention to social issues impacting the local communities and created modern sukkah designs for today.
During the 10-day public event, the main Sukkah Village at the Jewish Center of Princeton was home to six sukkahs; the corner lawn provided a green, quiet backdrop for participants, while still being on Princeton’s “main street” and close to downtown’s amenities. Sukkahs also popped up at prominent locations around town, such as places of worship, popular green spaces like Palmer Square, and community centers like the YWCA and the Arts Council of Princeton. In the months following the event, $20,000 in donations and auction proceeds were distributed to community agencies. In subsequent years, the auctioned sukkah will be erected by their new owners, allowing the celebration to continue in a sustainable way.
Jury Comments
This is a community-based project, reaching out to engage local people with visual art and creativity. It brings the community together through the making of architecture. The project is ambitious, well-intended, and beautifully designed and executed.
Participating Architect Design Teams:
Joshua Zinder Architecture + Design, LLC
Studio Hillier
HDR, Inc.
Michael Graves
Mills + Schnoering Architects, LLC
Seth A. Leeb Architect
KSS Architects
NJIT Student Groups
Michael Landau Architects
