Our Must-Do Picks for Archtober 2019, Weeks 4 & 5ish (Oct. 25–31)

Archtober 2019, New York City's month-long series of architecture-centered events across all five boroughs, is entering the home stretch — but there's no slowing down now.

Bustler and our sister site Archinect have partnered with Archtober for the ninth year in a row and present you our weekly highlights from a packed calendar. Below are our event recommendations for Archtober Week 4 and the remaining days of Week 5, October 25–31.

Having trouble locating the nearly 30 Buildings of the Day? Use Archinect's handy interactive map to easily spot them, especially while on the go.

Building of the Day: The Museum of Modern Art Renovation and Expansion | October 25

The Museum of Modern Art is undergoing a renovation and expansion that will increase gallery space by 30% and will enhance public spaces. The first phase of renovations on the east end is now complete, and the next phase, including new construction on the west end will now begin, with an estimated completion date of 2019.

2019 MAS Summit for New York City: Fight for Light | October 25

The 2019 Summit, Fight for Light, will explore the economic, environmental, social, and public health impacts of light and air in urban neighborhoods. This year’s Summit is a component of a larger citywide initiative in partnership with New Yorkers for Parks (NY4P) that seeks stronger protections for the natural resources that are essential to an equitable city and the health and happiness of city dwellers.

Pumpkitecture! Architectural Pumpkin Carving Competition | October 25

Start off your Halloween weekend at the Center for Architecture’s third annual Pumpkitecture! competition! 20 New York City-based firms will go gourd to gourd to once again compete for the Pritzkerpumpkin. (Check out last year's Pumpkitecture creations, and see who took home the coveted Pritzkerpumpkin grand prize.)

Building of the Day: Greenpoint Library + Environmental Education Center | October 26

Currently under construction and expected to open at the end of 2019, the Greenpoint Library and Environmental Education Center will be a 15,000 sf community library and hub for environmental awareness, activism, and education in the Brooklyn Public Library system.

Grace Farms Architecture & Sustainability Tour | October 26

Experience Grace Farms’ state-of-the-art mechanical systems and gain insights into our LEED construction and ongoing sustainability operations with Adam Thatcher, our Director of Operations & Sustainability. Tour behind-the-scenes to learn about the minimal-impact design of the River building.

#HackABetterWorld | October 26

Inviting all architects, urban planners and civic/architectural engineers to #HackABetterWorld with USA for UNHCR and the Spitzer School at CCNY, hosted by New Lab.

The Transformation of Times Square and 42nd Street | October 26

This walking tour explores key elements that have contributed to the transformation of Times Square, including zoning, landmark preservation, government‐sponsored redevelopment initiatives, a greater focus on pedestrians, and nostalgia for the glory days of Broadway.

Building of the Day: Fraunces Tavern Museum | October 27

Experience the history of one of the oldest standing structures in Manhattan. From its construction in 1719 to today, Fraunces Tavern has grown and evolved with the city around it- from the tavern where George Washington bid farewell to his officers after the Revolutionary War, to a boarding house, to a museum. This tour explores the 300 years of history at 54 Pearl Street, its significance to the American Revolutionary era, and the efforts to restore and preserve the building.

Wikipedia Edit-a-thon | October 27

Bard Graduate Center, Wikimedia NYC and Architexx will host a Wikipedia Edit-a-thon to address the lack of information on Wikipedia about contributions by women, LGBTQI communities, and artists of color to the fields of architecture and design history. The event is designed to improve coverage of the arts on Wikipedia. The edit-a-thon will include tutorials for the beginner Wikipedian, ongoing editing support, reference materials, and refreshments.

Backstage Tour of the Met Opera House at Lincoln Center | October 27

Peek behind the curtain of the Metropolitan Opera House and explore backstage areas that are not accessible to the general public. Discover how the opera’s extravagant productions come to life in the buzzing backstage areas like the scenic and carpentry shops, the wig shop and costume shop.

Family Build and Wear Workshop | October 27

Create your own architecture-inspired Halloween costume! Families will learn how to “read” buildings for clues about their design and function through an interactive slide show. Using these concepts, participants will have the opportunity to construct their own wearable building outfit!

Building of the Day: Barnard College – The Milstein Center for Teaching & Learning | October 28

Located at the heart of campus, the Milstein Center for Teaching and Learning is a new kind of library that transforms the undergraduate experience at Barnard College. The 128,000-square-foot building features an expanded library and media facilities, flexible learning and classroom spaces, as well as a computational science center. Designed to serve as a campus crossroads, the Milstein Center is place where students and faculty can learn by doing in a dynamic, interdisciplinary setting.

Transportation + Infrastructure Design Excellence Awards | October 28

The AIANY + ASLANY Transportation + Infrastructure Design Excellence Awards recognize exceptional design by AIA and ASLA members working in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. The awards program is open to registered architects, landscape architects, and planners.

Lecture: Henry Cobb, Pei Cobb Freed & Partners | October 28

Henry Cobb is a founding partner of Pei Cobb Freed and Partners, a global architecture firm based in New York. Cobb is the recipient of the Academy of Arts and Letters Gold Medal for Architecture and the Lynn S. Beedle Lifetime Achievement Award from the CTBUH. Response by Laurie Hawkinson.

Building of the Day: 121 East 22nd Street | October 29

121 East 22nd is OMA New York’s first ground up building and residential complex in Manhattan. The design was conceived from its site, which straddles two separate and different neighborhoods: a quiet residential area surrounding Gramercy Park and the bustling commercial space around Madison Square Park. 121 East 22nd conveys the meeting of the two neighborhoods, realized through two interlocking planes that come together at 23rd and Lexington to form a distinct, three-dimensional corner.

Designing for the New Normal | October 29

Join us for Pratt’s annual Design Symposium.  This year’s panel will explore how designers create for the global marketplace in a way that is generational, sustainable, inspirational.

Sustainability Reset: Challenging the premise behind architecture’s approach to climate change | October 29

Michelle Addington will discuss the imperative of cross-disciplinary collaboration to effect significant change in the built environment. Addington is the Dean of the School of Architecture and holds the Henry M. Rockwell Chair in Architecture at The University of Texas at Austin.

Building and Dwelling: Ethics for the City at Van Alen Book Club | October 29

Moderated by some of our favorite urbanists, Van Alen Book Club uses the urban experience in fiction and non-fiction to ask how we experience cities, and how we want to make them in the future. This Archtober, we'll dive in to Richard Sennet's ambitious argument for an 'open city'.

Building of the Day: 10 Jay | October 30

Originally the Arbuckle Brothers sugar refinery, 10 Jay stands at an ideal location flush with waterfront views to integrate innovative design with the site’s landmark heritage. A crystalline geode that with its reflections speak to the park and the river, the sunset, the Manhattan Bridge rising beside it, the riverfront on the other side. As the conversation surrounding heritage and preservation grows, 10 Jay Street bucks conservative trends to challenge the way we view history.

Engaging Barriers: Physical Safety Measures Reshaping the Public Realm | October 30

This session will explore the complex nature of protective boundaries in the public realm, drawing on multiple perspectives from architects, artists, and scientists, as well as public agencies and servants, culminating in a town hall discussion open to all attendees.

Women Design Leaders on International Projects | October 30

As more architectural firms in the United States are doing work overseas, the AIANY Women in Architecture Committee is pleased to highlight three women design leaders practicing in New York, with a portfolio of international projects highlighting their unique global design perspectives. Presenters: Carla Swicherath (Partner, Studio Libeskind), Leah Nanpei (Project Director, SHoP Architects), Vivian Lee (Principal, RMP), Moderator: Rosalind Tsang (Senior Associate, RAMSA).

Double Happiness – Archtober Film Night | October 30

Director Ella Raidel and curator Marlene Rutzendorfer join the audience for a discussion on the diverse and sometimes surprising links between small town Austria and China´s rapid urbanization, citing the examples of two places that - at first sight - could not be more different: Hallstatt (AT) and Shenzhen (CHN).

Building of the Day: Tenement Museum Renovation | October 31

The Tenement Museum has been transformed from dilapidated, structurally compromised tenement buildings built in the 1860s into a cultural destination and civic resource in NYC of immeasurable worth. Come behind the scenes to tour the “forensic architecture” that has translated history into lessons for the future.

World Cities Day | October 31

The United Nations General Assembly has designated the 31st of October as World Cities Day, by its resolution 68/239. The Day is expected to greatly promote the international community’s interest in global urbanization, push forward cooperation among countries in meeting opportunities and addressing challenges of urbanization, and contributing to sustainable urban development around the world.

Celebrate NYC: Big & Green – Mechanical Upgrades | October 31

Join BE-Ex along with sustainability leaders in NY real estate, Vornado Realty Trust and the Durst Organization, for a discussion of some of the mechanical system upgrades within their portfolios of XL commercial buildings that have recently and dramatically improved energy efficiency.

If you missed them, revisit our recommendations for Week 1, Week 2, and Week 3.

For the complete list of events from October 1–31, head over to the Archtober event list, like the Facebook page, or follow Archtober on Twitter and Instagram.