IPA's 13th Annual Friends Party on Governors Island with Bridge Street Sound and Film-Makers Cooperative

The Institute for Public Architecture (IPA) will host its 13th Annual Friends Party on July 25, 2026, at the historic Block House in Nolan Park on Governors Island. The event celebrates 13 years of IPA's design-driven initiatives addressing social, physical, and environmental inequities. The IPA runs one of the only architecture-focused residencies in the U.S. and the only overnight arts program on Governors Island. This year, Brooklyn-based duo Bridge Street Sound returns, known for their DJ sets and innovative speaker design, featuring a custom sound system and a mobile stage designed by stock-a-studio (MIT Disassemblies Lab). At sunset, the Film-Makers Cooperative will present a cinematic program titled Mutualism, curated by Zacarias Gonzalez, focusing on ecological co-existence through a series of short films. Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets and stay hydrated. The party is a rare public opening of the Block House for a day of celebration.