“Re-design, Re-invent, Re-envision”. That was the title on a poster pinned to an information stand on Nassau St in Princeton earlier this month. In fact, this poster promised something transformative: a design competition sponsored by the American Institute of Architects in partnership with the town of Princeton. What could be the subject of this design competition? A new apartment complex? A fire station? An institute for Princeton University? No, it is for none of those things – instead, the contest will focus on *the information stand itself*. Yes, the ‘kiosks’ of Nassau Street are to be offered a makeover, by the nation’s leading architects!
The Nassau Street ‘kiosks’ are two eight-sided structures, located at the intersection of Nassau St and Witherspoon St, and outside the Garden Theater at the intersection with Vendeventer St. They were originally built to enclose public telephones but those have long since been removed. They now serve as information hoardings, where anybody can pin notices of any kind. At their meeting on March 24, Princeton Council agreed to remove the existing ‘kiosks’ and replace at least one of them with a new information board, one side of which might include an electronic sign. As reported by ‘Tap Into Princeton’, there have been previous efforts to remove the ‘kiosks’ in 1993, 2001, 2012, and 2013, but in every case, the ‘kiosks’ have survived.
The current design contest is organized by the American Institute of Architects (AIA). The web link https://aia-nj.org/kiosk/ currently brings you to a page where interested parties can register to participate in what is described as an “Ideas competition for design of a new kiosk for the municipality of Princeton”. Few other details are provided, beyond mention of “Professional and student categories”.
More information is available, however, in the packet for the Princeton Council meeting of Tuesday, May 27. The meeting agenda includes discussion of “Resolution R-25-195 Authorizing the Acceptance of Donations in Furtherance of Possible Design and Construction of a New Nassau Street Kiosk”. The text of the resolution discusses that the American Institute of Architects will hold a design contest to produce ideas for a new Nassau Street information kiosks. There will be prizes to a total of $10,000, provided by a local business, for the entries that are judged the best.
The town of Princeton is not required to follow any design that emerges from the AIA contest, but the town will apparently ‘accept’ the ideas that are submitted. In return, the donor of the $10,000 for prizes will be acknowledged with a plaque at any redesigned ‘kiosk’.
Related materials: (via princetonnj.gov and AIA-NJ.org)
walkableprinceton 
greetings, is there any information on the status of this project? KAG
apparently we will hear something in the coming weeks!!!
Good morning, I haven’t heard anything on the status of this project. You?
KAG