CANOPY - P.S.1/MoMA YOUNG ARCHITECTS PROGRAM 2004

The English word "canopy" refers to both the overarching covering of a sky and the uppermost region of a forest. The architects developed the idea of a 'deep landscape' to stitch together the limits of the existing site (ground, concrete walls, sky) with one material system. Canopy reveals various transformations over time. The structure juxtaposes the degree to which a natural material can be geometrically manipulated and controlled with its unpredictable behavior over time. Varying humidity levels, exposure to the sun, pole diameter and orientation effect a gradient of changes in color and material properties. A parallel transformation occurs in the Rainforest, where the live planted bamboo, kept moist with water misters every half hour, steadily grows in height and produces new green shoots throughout the summer.