The Pop Up Chapel was conceived by a group of friends, tipsily celebrating the fantastic news that all New Yorkers are finally able to enjoy marriage equality. The friends, a motley crew consisting of a software developer, an editor, two writers, and a director (who happens to be a legal wedding officiant), decided that they wanted to do something special to commemorate the triumphant news. In their excitement and mild delirium, they decided to provide a beautiful wedding for anyone who wants to get married, totally free of charge. They figured: people might want to get married at City Hall. But wouldn’t they prefer to get married in a park? Especially if they could bring all their friends and family and eat free cupcakes? Who doesn’t love cupcakes? And same-sex marriages? Exactly. The Pop Up Chapel is accepting donations of goods and services to make the weddings as beautiful as possible. Please visit www.popupchapel.com for more information.

Merchant's Gate in Central Park

Heavily trafficked by frenetic tourists, business people and city residents, Merchants’ Gate is one of the busiest entrances into Central Park. Easy to locate at the corner of Central Park South opposite Columbus Circle, Merchants’ Gate is an expansive area that supports the towering structure of the majestic Maine Monument. The plaza surrounding the Monument has been recently restored making it a more inviting and attractive public space to visit. It now features a colorful bluestone and granite designed pavement, improved lighting and a low marble seating wall behind the Monument. In addition to these refinements, two Italian food kiosks offering tasty treats from Ferrara were installed within this gateway.

Each submitted proposal should:

• Be no taller than 10'-0" above ground
• Be no larger than 8'-0" x 8'-0"
• Be non denominational
• Be able to fit 5 people comfortable (1 officiant, 2 witnesses, 2 people getting married)
• Be able to withstand windy conditions of the park, and possibly provide rain protection
• Be able to be installed and de-installed within 2 hours
• Be light enough to install without the need for mechanical assistance (no cranes or forklifts)
• Be recyclable if possible
• Not infringe on the paved surface below (no stakes!)
• Adhere to NYC building codes
• Celebrate the city of NY and the historic passage of the marriage equality act

Applicants should submit their proposals to Architizer via email, with subject heading Pop Up Chapel, to competition@architizer.com, with the following items attached in 1 (one) .pdf file Containing:

• (1) 11x17 with rendering(s) that show the proposed design
• (1) 11x17 with section, plan and detail drawing (detail as appropriate)
• (1) 11x17 with Firm Name, Participants, Firm Location and a brief (200 or fewer words) description of the proposal. Be sure to address issues of materiality and build-ability. Include a preliminary budget proposal that allocates the $3,000 stipend and a work proposal that explains building materials and schedule, transportation and lodging (if you don't live in NYC), labor (paid labor, friends, etc.), and timing (applicants are encouraged to build off-site, leaving the wedding day for installation only.)
• 5MB maximum

Individuals and firms must upload a profile to Architizer. Past work will play a role in the selection process to judge proficiency.

A $20 Donation to enter goes towards the successful funding of the Central Park wedding chapel. Entrants should pay the fee online via Architizer's PayPal site.

Competition Notice: July 11, 2011
Registration Opening: July 11, 2011
Project submission Deadline: July 21st at 23:59 EST
Jury Selection: July 22, 2011
Results notification: July 22, 2011
Installation date: July 30th, 2011

Architizer, The Knot, and Pop Up Chapel will select the winning design.