A theoretical experiment of turning the floating pool into a theater.

The dense urban SRO (single room occupancy) housing work of Jonathan Kirschenfeld Architect has been described by The New York Times architecture critic Michael Kimmelman as “serious architecture” which “…lends dignity to what at least used to be a byword for urban pariah and a building type that often resembled a prison.” Using the supportive housing model of densely-packed mini-dwelling units -the contemporary equivalent to the SRO- combined with large congregate program spaces, Kirschenfeld’s recent work recalls Alberti’s dictum “…the city is like some large house and the house in turn like some small city…”. Shoehorned into the left-over interstitial sites available to his budget-restricted not-for-profit housing clients, the six buildings that Kirschenfeld will present adapt the same program mix to alternately trapezoidal, curved, narrow-and-deep, or through-lots sites, with a great variety of results. Collectively these examples break new ground and offer an important case study in remnant urban infill. Situated somewhere between the architecture of Aldo Rossi (for whom he worked) and the infill strategies of Colin Rowe (whose work figured prominently in his architectural education) Kirschenfeld proposes a dense figured-fabric to serve the fragile single populations his buildings serve. Yet within this typology he also suggests, with his R8 team for the Citizen’s Housing and Policy Council /Architectural League ‘Making Room’ initiative, that this housing type could also help retain the “creative class” priced out of the city’s escalating residential market. The presentation will trace earlier housing models for ‘philanthropic’ housing for the poor and working class, expand on his own built supportive housing work, and conclude with his R8 proposal for the Grand Concourse. Frederic Schwartz, FAIA will introduce Jonathan Kirschenfeld and moderate a discussion. Organized by: AIANY Housing Committee

Scaffolding is both a noun and a verb, object and action. Beyond its role in the construction industry, it is frequently used to erect temporary theaters, create set designs, and support various modes of performance. This lecture explores scaffolding as a conceptual and technical element, as well as its relationship to bodies and space. This program is presented as part of Performa 2017 and is a program of Scaffolding on view at the Center for Architecture through January 18, 2018. Speakers: Jonathan Kirschenfeld, AIA, Principal, Jonathan Kirschenfeld Architect PC; Founder,Institute for Public Architecture Nicholas Leahy, AIA, LEED AP, Principal, Perkins Eastman Ralph Lemon, Director, Choreographer, Writer, Visual Artist, and Curator Elizabeth Streb, Choreographer, Performer, MacArthur “Genius” Award-winner Moderator: Greg Barton, Curator, Scaffolding Organized by Center for Architecture

An interview with architect Jonathan Kirschenfeld on the design and construction of New York's Floating Pool

theatre design and concept by Jonathan Kirschenfeld Architects animation by H James Lucas

Jonathan Kirschenfeld, AIA, lectures to the SITREP .at NYC 2013 Study Program on the history of New York City. 18 July 2013 at The General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen, 20 West 44th Street, NYC