HWKN nano-fabric design wins 2012 Young Architects Program

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and the MoMA PS1 Brooklyn-based gallery announced that HWKN (HollwichKushner) was the winner of the 13th annual program that offers emerging architectural talent the opportunity to design and present innovative projects, challenging each year’s winner to develop creative design for a temporary, outdoor installation at MoMA PS1. Requirements demand that the designs provide shade, seating and water, and address issues of environment, including sustainability and recycling.

The winning project, “Wendy” by Matthias Hollwich and Marc Kushner, is composed of nylon fabric treated with a ground breaking titania nanoparticle spray to neutralize airborne pollutants. It is expected that during the summer of 2012, “Wendy” will clean the air to an equivalent of taking 260 cars off the local roads. By combining off-the-shelf materials and scaffolding systems with the latest in nanotechnology, the HWKN project is able to produce both and out-of-the-box ecological statement and a bold architectural gesture.

A previously posted Fabric Architecture magazine article contains information about TiO2 applications.

Source: MoMA