PRO practices a publicly engaged design philosophy. We believe that architecture and urban design can be meaningful tools to stimulate dialogue about our cities, our workplaces, our homes, and the policies that shape urban life. We look for opportunities in all our projects to address these issues, and when a relevant project does not yet exist, we invent one. 

This exhibition highlights six experiments with public space. Each project is at roughly the same scale, and proposes a temporary installation meant to challenge our assumptions about how public space can be occupied. For example “The Brooklyn Cloud” aims to draw attention to the many small, undevelopable plazas in Downtown Brooklyn with a dynamic installation of customized “air dancers” – white nylon tubes, animated by high powered fans. Similarly, “Heartifacts” utilizes solid wood planes to create small, intimate spaces in the midst of the overwhelming scale and stimulus of Times Square.

Each of these projects was initiated by our office. As a young firm, this entrepreneurial approach has enriched our practice, expanded our network, and helped us develop a more precise understanding of the productive role architecture can play in nurturing social change.

Coverage in Architects Newspaper