archtober 2022: explore new york city's best architecture all month

archtober returns to new york

The twelfth-annual Archtober, New York City’s month-long celebration of architecture and design, is set to take place from October 1st — 31st, 2022. Organized by the Center for Architecture in collaboration with more than 100 partners and sponsors, the 2022 installment of the festival includes events ranging from daily building tours and lectures by design experts, to architecture-themed competitions and parties — across all five boroughs!

As a media partner of Archtober, designboom previews NYC’s architecture and design month, and the events and activities you can get involved with below.

Building of the Day, October 1st: New York Public Library Van Cortlandt Branch in the Bronx | get tickets here

image by Michael Moran

in-person and virtual programming

Archtober 2022 will feature a combination of in-person and virtual programming, as designers welcome visitors into their spaces, while accommodating even larger and more international audiences.

Virtual programming includes the CCNY Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture’s Fall 2022 Sciame Lecture Series, ‘Border Crossings: Architecture and Migration in the Americas.’ For its 2022 edition, Archtober partners with the Indigenous Society of Architecture, Planning, and Design on a four-part virtual series, ‘In the Realm of Indigenous Architectures,’ that will ‘explore the preservation and the transformation of Indigenous communities in the United States.’

In-person programming includes a series of exhibitions across the city, including Cooper Hewitt’s ‘Mr. Pergolesi’s Curious Things: Ornament in 18th-Century Britain,’ opening October 1, and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)’s ‘Life Between Buildings,’ which explores artists’ engagement with the city’s interstitial spaces. Even outside the city, visitors are invited to explore site-specific installations including Robert Stadler: Playdate at the Glass House in Connecticut, and Pamphlet Architecture at ‘T’ Space upstate in Rhinebeck, which will showcase the theoretical explorations of emerging architects.

Building of the Day October 4th: SUMMIT One Vanderbilt Observatory by Snøhetta | learn more here
image by Michael Grimm | see designboom’s previous coverage here

building of the day: 2022 edition

Archtober’s Building of the Day series of architect-led walking tours continues this year and will be fully in-person. For the first time, this year’s series will feature two different building tours every Saturday.

Many Archtober partners will even offer tours outside of the Building of the Day series. On October 2nd, Green-Wood Cemetery will lead ‘Grand Designs: Architecture at Green-Wood,’ which will explore the cemetery’s monuments and mausoleums by leading nineteenth-century architects and artists, while the New York Public Library’s Seward Park Branch will guide guests through an Historical Walking tour of Manhattan’s Chinatown on October 29th.

While 2022 marks the 20th anniversary of Open House New York, visitors are welcome to join an ‘urban exploration celebration‘ from October 21st — 23rd, with a Launch Party on Thursday, October 20th at Surrogate’s Courthouse in the heart of Lower Manhattan’s Civic Center.

Building of the Day, October 15th: Front and York in Dumbo | get tickets here
image by Selvon Ramsawak

an architect’s halloween in new york

As the Archtober team notes: ‘No October celebration is complete without some end-of-month spookiness, and Archtober is no exception!’ The architectural pumpkin-carving competition Pumpkitecture will return to the Center for Architecture On October 28th, as architects compete for the ‘Pritzkerpumpkin.’

Candlelight Ghost Tours of the Merchant’s House Museum — Manhattan’s most haunted house — will be held from October 26th through 29th, while the New York Botanical Garden will hold its Halloween at the Garden extravaganza — this includes a Spooky Pumpkin Garden Night and a Pumpkin Parade Weekend, each on both October 22nd and 29th.

Building of the Day, October 19th: Battery Playscape | get tickets here
image by Inessa Binenbaum

An Archtober Map to New York is available through Glide: ‘Experience the city through the eyes of an architect while being pointed towards nearby architectural sites, cultural institutions, and parks (along with spots to stop for a drink or snack!) that help define New York City as one of the country’s most stimulating design arenas.’

Building of the Day, October 24th: Eagle West by OMA in Greenpoint | learn more here
image by Ivane K | see designboom’s previous coverage here