Oct. 6, 2017 By Nathaly Pesantez
A miniature cabin is making its debut in Greenpoint in an exhibit that aims to provoke thinking into the future of urban dwellings and inspired by the political climate of today.
The Mini Living Urban Cabin, on view starting today at A/D/O at 29 Norman Ave., is a 160 square-foot “micro-house” imagined as an answer to the challenges of urban living. The compact house, meant to be placed at urban area ground levels, accommodates up to two people, and can be customized to allow for quiet moments or interactions with people outside it.
Mini Living, an extension of the car brand, debuted the Urban Cabin project in London last month, and calls on local designers to customize the cabin as it arrives to their cities. The Greenpoint version of the cabin, designed partly by the Manhattan-based Bureau V, was made with the ongoing crisis of forced migration in mind against the culturally diverse backdrop of New York that so many call “home”.
“While this crisis involves numerous complex issues, at its core is a question of home,” reads part of Mini Living’s release. The miniature home’s whimsical traits, like the spiky, bright yellow exterior contrasted with a soft interior, act as a “respite for the urban citizen” and are meant to provide a sense of “comfort and humor” amidst the migration crisis.
The Greenpoint Urban Cabin also opens up to showcase several living space arrangements made possible in a small area—a hammock near rows of plants in tiny pots, books hanging from the cabin’s ceilings, and a hole for would-be inhabitants to crawl into.
The Urban Cabin is free and open to the public, and will be on display until November 22.