The water cathedral

The Water Cathedral is the selected project by Gun Arq for the 2011 YaP installation in Santiago, Chile. MoMA PS1 is one of the oldest and largest non-profit contemporary art institutions in the United States, while MoMA is an exhibition space hosting some of the most experimental art in the world. The institution advocates and facilitates emerging new artists supporting innovation and contemporary art, with over 50 exhibitions each year.

image: moma.org

Young Architect Program is an initiative that works in conjunction with MoMA PS1 as they encourage young architects to join the project, offering young and upcoming artists to design and present pioneering projects for a temporary outdoor installation. Pertaining to certain per-requisites and requirements, the young architects need to abide by guidelines requesting that the design provides shade, seating and water, with strict focus on designing it with an environment friendly approach, looking at factors such as sustainability and recycling.

The 2011 winners were a group calledGun Arq, who designed the Water Cathedral in Santiago Chile. A horizontal urban nave available for public use, the structure is made up of several cone-shaped components that hang or ascend almost like stalactites and stalagmites that are different in height and are dispersed throughout the structure, some parts more dense than others. These cone-shaped objects have water dripping from them at altered speeds as they drip onto visitors to cool them down. The water cathedral is designed for ample shade and the ‘irrigation/cooling system’ allows it to host many plants as water collects under the structures canopy. Practical and eye-catching, this water cathedral takes environmentally conscious design and architecture to the next level. Keep a lookout for the winners of the 2012 YaP who will be designing a temporary urban landscape for 2012 Warm Up summer music series in MoMA PS1’s outdoor courtyard in New York.