Sukkah City STL Built Work
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Winning Competition Entry: Exodus Fall 2011 . Alexander Morley + Jennifer Wong
Biblical in origin, the sukkah is an ephemeral, elemental shelter, erected for one week each fall, in which it is customary to share meals, entertain, sleep, and rejoice. Drawing from the success of the 2010 competition in New York, Sukkah City STL is an international design competition to re-imagine this ancient phenomenon, develop new methods of material practice, and propose radical possibilities for traditional design constraints in a contemporary world and a budget of $500. Our design was one of the ten entries chosen for construction. Jury members included Mitchell Joachim and Christopher Hawthorne.
8’-0”
32”
#1
16”
#2
Dispersion
4’-0”
#4
#3
Perseverance
#5
#6
#7
Unison
Using a kit of parts evenly divisible from a standard sheet of plywood, seven units of CNC milled pieces create a gradient of porosity
The seven units configure into seven interlocking vertical modules, allowing for varying degrees of enclosure and density for the Sukkah The number 7 is sacred to God in Judaism
The orthagonal arrangement evokes both the desert stars and traditional open S’chach roof coverings Dispersion
Perseverance
Unison
In plan, the Sukkah again celebrates the journey from slavery to freedom Marching 10 abreast, the exodus would form a line over 150 miles long, enough to span the Sinai Peninsula This continuous thread of movement is represented in the marching, vertical nature of the Sukkah
Average angle of late October sun
x
2 million
=
150 miles of people, 10 abreast
Canaan (modern-day Isreal)
(modern-day Egypt)
150 miles
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Units assemble and entire structure interlocks and holds itself without a single adhesive or screw.
Exodus is assembled in just 4 hours.