Register: JUL/01/2018, Submit: JUL/13/2018, Eligibility: Architects, designers, artists, builders, students; individually, teams, Fee: 55 USD (MAY/11 – JUL/01/2018), Awards: Each of the 10-12 Finalists – 1,800 USD design stipend, People’s Choice Award 500 USD, Winner (one of the finalists) – cash prize
A Sukkah is a temporary structure constructed for annual use during the week long Jewish festival of Sukkot. The original source for this tradition is Leviticus 23:42-43, where it is described as a reminder of the booths that the children of Israel dwelt in during their journey through the desert from slavery in Egypt to freedom. In modern times the sukkah is a symbol of frailty and transience of life and shelter. While building a Sukkah is an annual Jewish ritual, it embodies many universal themes related to the nature of dwelling: new/old, open/closed, temporary/permanent. The challenge of this two-stage competition is to explore what a contemporary Sukkah can be – reflecting ancient teachings while exhibiting a concept of space and place which is both modern and rooted.
THE COMPETITION
The Sukkah Project: Dwell in Design is a design competition to which local and national architects, artists and builders will be invited to submit their most creative and exciting sukkah designs.Ten to twelve Finalists will be will be selected to receive a $1,800 construction stipend and will be tasked with building a life size, modern, artistic sukkah to be displayed at the Dallas Museum of Biblical Art during the weeklong festival. From among these finalists, a panel of expert judges will select the winner of a cash prize, to be announced during the feature event to be held on Sunday, September 23rd, 2018.
The selected sukkahs will be erected outside, on the grassy area on the north of the museum’s property. Entries should be designed and partially pre-assembled to allow final installation and later removal within limited available times.
The Texas Jewish Arts Association (TJAA) envisions The Sukkah Project: Dwell in Design as both an innovative design competition and an outreach opportunity for the Jewish community to connect with the greater Dallas/Fort Worth population. The overarching goal is the promotion of the importance of a safe refuge against the elements and a reminder to us of those in our cities who are homeless or under-housed; dislocated and estranged, and the need of those individuals to establish homes of their own. For this reason, TJAA has partnered with Habitat for Humanity and Jewish Family Services as beneficiaries of funds raised during the event.
DESIGN CRITERIA
Dimensions:
- The site of installation requires that the sukkah fit entirely within a 12’x 12’ footprint.
- The sukkah must be tall enough to enter standing.
Construction:
- There should be a sense of enclosure to the sukkah. Historically, a Sukkah must have at least two and a half sides.
- Walls must be sturdy enough to withstand the impact of ordinary winds
- The roof must be partially covered with a material that grows from the soil and has been completely detached from the ground.
- The roof design and its covering should be sparse enough so that one can see the sky, yet dense enough so that it provides some protection from the elements. While innovative roof and wall shapes and geometries are encouraged, the Sukkah must provide a sense of shelter and offer respite from the elements.
- The Sukkah may not be anchored to the site, but must be stabilized or weighted down without penetrating or damaging the property of the Dallas Museum of Biblical Art or exceeding the maximum permitted footprint
NOTE
- Finalists will be responsible for the construction, installation and removal of their sukkot. Construction expense in excess of the stipend amount will be the responsibility of the entrant.
- One half of the stipend will be awarded on August 17th upon announcement of finalists. The remaining balance will be awarded on September 28th upon take down and removal of the Sukkah.
Website: thesukkahproject.org