Naomi Frangos Just Changed the Way Architectural Projects Are Showcased

Forget about easel boards, thumbtacks, and other bases, Naomi Frangos, associate professor at NYIT School of Architecture and Design, has just revolutionized the way architectural projects are displayed at NYIT.

Spanning 2,200 square feet, Apparatus City: Micro Worlds/Macro Fields showcases a prototype design for a custom mass-fabrication, demountable self-supporting structure on which to mount exhibitions. It comprises 4,500 pounds of half-inch-diameter steel rods bent into varying modular shapes. Discreetly held in place by more than 2,200 black cable ties, this delicate lattice-like scaffolding fully engages the viewer beyond a typical static experience, creating a sense of spatial animation and transformation.

“Arguably, buildings are the display apparatus for its city/landscape; a city mounts itself upon, and within, its constructed fabric,” said Frangos. “We wanted to explore to what degree could an art gallery’s display apparatus—podiums, projections, temporary structures, etc.—permit an unfolding of a communal region. Through the exhibition’s design of multiple intertwining display fields, we can better demonstrate shifting scales and more details.”

The display is part of the School of Architecture and Design’s accreditation process. “The National Architecture Accrediting Board team and visitors appreciated and enjoyed very much the vibrant design environment, the inspiring projects and videos, and the high quality of our program curriculum,” said Maria Perbellini, dean of the School of Architecture and Design.

Presently displayed on these structures are models, drawings, and films by the students, including a video of students assembling the full-scale exhibition as part of their introduction to design-build disciplines. This project reinvents how architecture students typically post work on walls and place models on stands as objects, and invites them to configure their work as a unique presentation.

“It was very satisfying to see the project come together,” said Chanel Hytower, a senior majoring in architecture. “The dark steel outlines and modularity of form create a curated experience rather than a presentation, much like how we design our buildings. With this new apparatus to display our work, I believe that students will be inspired to think outside the box.”

See the project progress from conception to completion.

Before: Architecture students displayed their projects on walls and tables. Photo by NYIT student Simon Omooba.

After: with Naomi Frangos' design, students are able to better present models and drawings and engage their viewers. Photo by NYIT student Simon Omooba.