BMW Guggenheim Lab, we barely knew you. The temporary think tank is being disassembled before the next stop on its world tour (Berlin, then Mumbai) and now we're left wondering: Success? Failure? Some vague combination of the two?
The "mobile laboratory inspiring innovative ideas for urban life" did get rid of some rats, bring Roberta's to the East Village, and formulate an urban policy quiz that's both entertaining and revealing. It also left some community members feeling left out in the cold, with a series of workshops that weren't exactly transparent (despite the physically transparent structure designed by Japanese architecture firm Atelier Bow-Wow).
According to Bowery Boogie, a final discussion at the lab centered around what comes next for the formerly rat-infested pit at 33 East 1st Street: "More than 450 proposals were generated at earlier brainstorming sessions... Suggestions included creating art and performance events, hosting outdoor markets, and providing sports facilities ranging from skateboarding to bocce ball. One point of agreement was that the space should incorporate the interests and needs of as much of the diverse neighborhood as possible." So what say ye, Curbediverse—what are you hankering for in the now empty lot?
· Packing up the BMW Guggenheim Lab [EV Grieve]
· BMW Guggenheim Lab Out; Discussions on Next Steps for Vacant Lot [Bowery Boogie]
· BMW Guggenheim Lab coverage [Curbed]
Loading comments...