Reset: Towards a New Commons

Team Natasha Jen

Contemporary American society has become increasingly fragmented, with people separated both physically and socially based on ability, age, income, and belief. A host of colliding crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic, embedded structural racism, and deepening political polarization, have only exacerbated these divisions.

Presented by the Center for Architecture in New York, Reset: Towards a New Commons considers how spaces may be designed for all, addressing the importance of barrier-free environments and practices rooted in “Universal Design.” The exhibition features four projects developed by interdisciplinary design teams—one focusing on New York City, one on Cincinnati, and two in the Bay Area—that envision new modes of living collaboratively. Pentagram developed an exhibition design for Reset that builds on these ideas of community and coming together.

Reset remains on view through September 3, 2022.