Ever dreamed of dining with Richard Rogers? Fancy strolling round Rotterdam’s Markthal with Winy Maas of MVRDV? How about lunch at Luis Barragán’s colorful classic, Cuadra San Cristobal, with Mexican rising star Tatiana Bilbao?
All these amazing experiences will become reality for those with the winning bids at the Van Alen Institute’s Benefit Auction. You can bid online now through April 27th, with all proceeds will help fund the Institute’s cross-disciplinary research, provocative public programs and inventive design competitions.
This year, the auction offerings feature a remarkable array of renowned architects and artists, and experience locations span the globe from Mexico City and Madrid to London and Beijing. Here’s a selection of what’s on offer: Prepare your bids now …
Prime Your Palette With Richard Rogers
“Take a seat at London’s iconic Michelin-starred River Cafe owned and designed by dynamic duo Ruth and Richard Rogers, respectively. While you and a guest enjoy Ruth’s spectacular Italian food, Richard will join you to dish on design, color and cuisine.”
Dinner at the Libeskind’s
“You’ve been invited to dine at the Libeskind’s apartment in Tribeca for one of Nina Libeskind’s famous home-cooked meals. You and a guest will gather around the first object Daniel Libeskind ever designed — the family’s kitchen table — and trade stories over bottles of wine with the Libeskind’s closest friends and family. Food for thought: Nina loves to cook French and Italian.”
FR-EE Flight Over DF
“Take in over 2,000 years of Mexico City’s extraordinary architecture in an afternoon helicopter ride with Fernando Romero. Begin with an aerial view of the site for the new Mexico City International Airport, designed by Romero and Lord Norman Foster, and then continue on to see the capital’s most iconic buildings as well as the ancient Mesoamerican city of Teotihuacán.”
A Jaunt Around Madrid With Rafael Moneo
“You and a guest will accompany Rafael Moneo for his daily walk around the Spanish capital while absorbing the architect’s philosophy on design and materiality.”
Tripping in the Netherlands With Winy Maas
“Rotterdam’s Markthal, designed by MVRDV, is a wonderfully peculiar and seemingly open-air market that features a 130-foot arched ceiling lined with a hypnotic mural by Arno Coenen and Iris Roskam. You and nine guests will join MVRDV co-founder Winy Maas for a private tour of this structure and one of its 228 apartment units.”
Lunch With Bilbao and Barragán
“Take an extended lunch break with Mexican architect Tatiana Bilbao at Cuadra San Cristobal, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Luis Barragán and built in Atizapán de Zaragoza in 1960. You’ll get to know why Barragán’s use of color influences Tatiana’s own designs over a bright Mexican meal at this classic example of Mexican modernism.”
Beijing Past / Present With Ma Yansong
“Jingshan Park and the adjacent Forbidden City are spectacularly dense areas full of twists and turns in Beijing, China. Let Architect Ma Yansong of MAD be your guide through this ancient park where you and a guest will explore courtyards and scale the artificial Jingshan Mountain at its heart. Having worked up an appetite, venture into one of Beijing’s narrow hutongs for an up-close and personal dinner with Ma.”
All images via Paddle8