SHIFTboston Ideas Competition Results

The SHIFTboston International Ideas Competition gathered 141 entries from sixteen states and fourteen countries. A diverse selection of students and professionals stepped forward to answer the call: ‘WHAT IF this could happen in Boston?’

SHIFTboston sought to collect visions that aim to enhance and electrify the urban experience in Boston. Innovative, radical ideas for new city elements such as public art, landscape, architecture, urban intervention and transportation. Competitors were encouraged to explore topics such as the future city, energy efficiency and ecological urbanism. The jury panel comprised Scott Burnham, Creative Director, Urban Innovator and Writer; Brian Healy,  Principal of Brian Healy Architects; Mitchell Joachim,  Co-Founder of Terreform ONE and Terrefuge; Audrey O’Hagan, Principal of O’Hagan Architects; Ana Salinas Mata, Principal of Wilk-Salinas Architekten; Thom Mayne, Founder and Design Director of Morphosis Architects; and Sarah Whiting, Principal of WW Architecture, Dean of the Rice University School of Architecture.

Here are the winners:

Boston-area collaborators Sapir Ng and Andrzej Zarzycki won the competition with “TUTS: Tremont Underground Theater Space.”  TUTS proposes to transform the abandoned Tremont Street subway tunnel into an interactive cultural space with experiential theaters and immersive digital galleries. A trolley museum merges new arts and culture with Boston’s heritage as America’s oldest subway city. 

Runner-up “Upside-Down Radiant City” takes Corbusier’s city plan and places it head-first into Boston Harbor. The proposal would create parks, meadows, and urban wilds on top of a grid of streets linking Downtown, South Boston, and East Boston. Underwater ‘skyscrapers’ would anchor the structure to the sea floor.

Runner-up ‘The Wall as Infrastructure’ seeks to change the perimeter wall of the Suffolk County Jail into a vertical farm and farmer’s market. Inmates and citizens would have access to the wall features, fostering cultural exchange and improved opportunity for jail occupants.

“What the Hell is This?” received an honorable mention from the jury for its clever approach to transforming Boston’s City Hall. An epitome of the Brutalist style, the building is a contentious topic among Boston residents. Proposals to move or update City Hall have come and gone, but still it remains unchanged. Instead of changing the structure, this entry proposes to alter the perception of the building by transforming it into a cultural icon.

To see detailed project descriptions and the complete list of finalists, click here.