Top entries in sidewalk shed contest released

About a week and a half after entries into the urbanSHED contest closed, images of the top contenders for title of most creative and innovative new sidewalk shed have emerged. The contest, sponsored by the New York City Department of Buildings and the American Institute of Architects New York Chapter, among other groups, invited architects and designers from around the globe to submit their vision for a new protective structure for pedestrians walking below ongoing construction. Some of the jazzy renderings include the “Tripod,” a glassy covering with steel beams supporting it, and the “urbanCLOUD,” a puffy white shelter that looks exactly like it sounds. Well over 270 contestants reportedly registered for the contest to design a safer and more aesthetically pleasing protective awning, but only 164 ended up actually submitting a rendering. The winner, who will receive a $10,000 prize, will be selected in December.