Canstruction 2024

PEOPLE’S CHOICE WINNER:
Congratulations to this year’s People’s Choice Winner, Little Shop of Hunger by Simpson Gumpertz & Heger. Thank you to all who voted!

Canstruction returns to Brookfield Place! The beloved annual design competition challenges teams of architects, engineers, and contractors to build sculptures made entirely out of unopened cans of food. The large-scale sculptures are displayed in an exhibition open to the public and later donated to City Harvest to help feed those in need.

This year, we’re giving you more ways to engage with and learn about Canstruction, including a live build, tours, and fun activities for youngsters.

LOCATION: View Canstruction at Brookfield Place located at 230 Vesey Street in Lower Manhattan. This year, you can donate cans of food and visit the Information Table in the Winter Garden at Brookfield Place. View the Canstruction exhibition map HERE.

WAYS TO GET ENGAGED!

• LIVE BUILD: Join us in the Winter Garden at Brookfield Place and watch as one of the incredible Canstruction sculptures is built by the DeSimone Consulting Engineering team on October 31. The live build will begin at 10am and generally takes 6-8 hours.
• TOURS: Guided tours of the Canstruction exhibition will be available on the following dates. Space is limited and pre-registration is required. Walk ins are welcome as space is available): CLICK HERE TO REGISTER! 
  +  Saturday, November 2 from 11-11:30am (SOLD OUT – Walk Ins Welcome!)
  +  Wednesday, November 6 from 12:30-1pm (SOLD OUT – Walk Ins Welcome!)
  +  Thursday, November 7 from 5-5:30pm (SOLD OUT – Walk Ins Welcome! Work at BFPL? Visit the axiis app to view open slots for this tour.)
  +  Saturday, November 9 from 3-3:30pm (SOLD OUT – Walk Ins Welcome!)
  • (Please note that these are organized tours for individuals and NOT for school groups.)

• DONATE: Help the cause when you visit! Drop off canned food which will be donated to City Harvest in the Winter Garden, 10am-7pm.
• KIDS ACTIVITIES: Stop by the Information Table to pick up an activity worksheet to help guide youngsters through the exhibition. (Ideal for kids age 6-12.)
• VOTE: Cast your ballot for the “People’s Choice” award and vote for your favorite sculpture: VOTE HERE

COMPETING TEAMS:
The 23 teams competing in this year’s competition include:
AKF, Arcadis, Arup, Beyer Blinder Belle, Buro Happold, DeSimone Consulting Engineers, EP Engineering, Fairstead, Gannett Fleming, Gensler, Gilsanz Murray Steficek LLP, Hatfield Group Engineering, HOK, LERA Consulting Structural Engineers, Meyers+ Engineers & McNamara Salvia Structural Engineers, NV5, Perkins Eastman, Severud Associates, Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (SGH), Stantec, Thornton Tomasetti, Urban Architectural Initiatives (UAI), and WSP USA.

JURY DELIBERATION:
On November 4, a distinguished panel of judges including Gia Mainiero, Principal, Dattner Architects; Alastair C. Elliott, PE, Principal, TYLin | Silman Structural Solutions; Jennifer Krichels, Editor, Oculus Magazine; Claudia Fleming, James Beard Award-Winning Pastry Chef and Executive Culinary Director for Daily Provisions; and Priyanka Naik, Eco-Chef, Food Network Champion, Author and TV Host, will select winners from this year’s creative Canstruction sculptures within the following categories: Best Original Design, Best Use of Labels, Structural Ingenuity, Best Meal, Most Cans, and two honorable mentions.

ABOUT CANSTRUCTION

Canstruction® New York is a 501(c)(3) Corporation. Canstruction was founded by the Society for Design Administration (SDA), whose purpose is to advance management and administrative professionals in the architecture, engineering, and construction industries through education, networking, leadership, and resources. Canstruction hosts competitions and events worldwide, creating awe-inspiring, gigantic structures made entirely out of non- perishable food.

Teams of volunteers, which include design industry professionals, participate in Canstruction® events in over 100 cities each year. The can art sculptures are on exhibit to the public in each city where a competition is held. The public is invited to donate non-perishable food items during the exhibition. At the close of an exhibition, all food from the structures and public donations are donated to local food banks.

Canstruction® New York has donated over 2 million pounds of food to local food banks since 1993, and over 1.2 million pounds to City Harvest since 2006. Since 1992, Canstruction® has raised nearly 82 million pounds of food for hunger relief organizations around the world with its signature, trademarked CanArt.

Donate to Canstruction and support their programs and exhibitions which raise millions of pounds of food each year for local hunger relief organizations. DONATE NOW >>

ABOUT CITY HARVEST

City Harvest City Harvest is New York’s first and largest food rescue organization, collecting high-quality, nutritious food that would otherwise go to waste to help provide free food for millions of New Yorkers experiencing food insecurity. Since our founding in 1982, we have rescued more than one billion pounds of fresh, nutritious food and delivered it—free of charge—to hundreds of food pantries, soup kitchens, community partners, and our own Mobile Markets® across the five boroughs. This year, we will rescue and distribute more than 81 million pounds of nutritious food to our neighbors in need. By redirecting that food to families, we will also prevent the equivalent of more than 20 million kilograms of CO2 from entering the atmosphere. Named one of America’s Top 100 Charities by Forbes, City Harvest also works alongside our community partners to build their capacity, expand nutrition education, and advocate for systems change through effective public policy. For more than 40 years, City Harvest has been there to feed our city—one day, one meal, one New Yorker at a time.