Sukkah City

Dwell is pleased to announce our partnership with Sukkah City, a radical event in temporary architecture scheduled this fall in observance of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. What is a sukkah you may ask? In physical terms, it’s a hut-like structure in which one sleeps, eats, and communes, during Sukkot. As for its religious symbolism, the sukkah’s purpose is to commemorate the time the Israelites spent in the wilderness after they were freed from slavery in Egypt. This fall, the Sukkah City competition offers designers of all denominations the opportunity to have their Sukkah design fabricated and on view for the public in New York City’s Union Square.

Co-organizer Joshua Foer expects the entries to be state of the art, “ranging from the latest in digital fabrication to handmade craft techniques,” but acknowledges that the design brief has been honed over the centuries. The ancient tenants of the sukkah, such as “a whale may be used to make a sukkah's walls,” or “the sukkah must have at least 3 walls, but the third doesn't need to be complete,” and “the sukkah may be built on top of a camel,” should provide interesting fodder for adventurous designers. Twelve finalists will then be selected by a distinguished jury that includes, among others, designer Ron Arad, and former Dwell Senior Editor Geoff Manaugh. At no cost to the entrant, the sukkahs will be fabricated and erected in Union Square. Ultimately one design will be nominated to serve as the official sukkah of New York City during Sukkot.