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Environment

A Giant Water Filter Sculpture Channels the Tree of Life

Emerging architect Andrés Jaque's 'COSMO' at MoMA PS1 raises awareness about the water crisis (and looks good doing it).
Image courtesy of the architect and MoMA PS1. Photo by Miguel de Guzmán / Imagen Subliminal.com

One part giant mirrored disco ball, one part water purifier, the winner of the 16th annual Young Architects Program at MoMA PS1, Andrés Jaque's COSMO, makes its unveiling today. Following in the eco-friendly footsteps of The Living's 10,000-brick mushroom tower, Hy-Fy, and HWKN's monolithic air-cleaning spike ball, Wendy, Jaque's Office for Political Innovation firm has created a cheap and easily-reconstructed system that can clean 3,000 gallons of water over the course of four days. It sparks discussions both about the lack of clean water in developing nations and about California's drought, while offering shade, seating, and a stunning backdrop for MoMA PS1's 2015 Warm Up summer music series.

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“This year’s proposal takes one of the Young Architects Program’s essential requirements—providing a water feature for leisure and fun—and highlights water itself as a scarce resource,” says Pedro Gadanho, Curator in MoMA’s Department of Architecture and Design. “Relying on off-the-shelf components from agro-industrial origin, an exuberant mobile architecture celebrates water-purification processes and turns their intricate visualization into an unusual backdrop for the Warm Up sessions.”

Every time the system of tubes and hanging plants successfully purifies its endlessly cycling load of water, a central web of mesh will light up, giving PS1's party-goers another reason to celebrate aside from a lineup that includes Boys Noize, DAWN, and Gavin Russom. Jaque was selected over finalists including Jacob Brillhart of brillhart architecture, Erin Besler, Michael Loverich of The Bittertang Farm, and Benjamin Dillenburger and Michael Hansmeyer of Studio Benjamin Dillenburger. An exhibition of the five finalists' proposed projects will be on view at MoMA over the course of the summer

Image courtesy of the architect and MoMA PS1. Photo by Miguel de Guzmán / Imagen Subliminal.com

Image courtesy of the architect and MoMA PS1. Photo by Miguel de Guzmán / Imagen Subliminal.com

Image courtesy of the architect and MoMA PS1. Photo by Miguel de Guzmán / Imagen Subliminal.com

Image courtesy of the architect and MoMA PS1. Photo by Miguel de Guzmán / Imagen Subliminal.com

See Office for Political Innovation's other work on there website, and check out more from MoMA PS1 in the links below.

[Video] Hy-Fi: The Living's Local, Sustainable, 10,000 Brick Mushroom Tower at MoMA PS1

Q&A With HWKN, Winners Of MoMA PS1's Young Architects Program

Björk Debuts Virtual Reality Music Video for "Stonemilker"

Samara Golden's Mirrored Bedroom Installation Puts You in the 6th Dimension

Step Inside MoMA's Rain Room [Exclusive Video]