SoMad Bathroom Design Open Call

About this call

SoMad, based in New York, United States, is moving into a new building in 2027 and invites artists to turn each of its bathrooms into a permanent, site-specific environment. Eight bathrooms are available: compact stalls (about 14 sq ft), single bathrooms with sink (about 35 sq ft), ADA bathrooms (about 45 sq ft) and an ADA shower bathroom on the artist residency floor (about 68 sq ft). Wall surfaces, ceilings, custom fixtures, lighting, mirrors, floors and sensory elements are open to interpretation; plumbing locations, layout, ADA requirements, ventilation, doors, switches, outlets and grab bars in ADA bathrooms are fixed, and designs are reviewed by SoMad's architect and must comply with NYC Building Code, ADA standards and fire and life-safety requirements. SoMad is especially interested in concepts that extend an existing practice. Selected artists get floor plans and site documentation, coordination with the architect and contractors, installation support and documentation. Finalist interviews run from late November to January 2027, selection is announced by January 22, 2027, installation is planned for Spring/Summer 2027 and completion for October 2027, exact dates to be determined.

Who can apply

• The official call states no eligibility restriction
• Medium: Installation
• Entry fee: See official site
• Open to artists, designers, architects and interdisciplinary creatives; no prior bathroom design experience is required. NYC-based or able to be onsite for key project phases is preferred. The application has 9 sections (about you, availability and bathroom preference, your practice, conceptual core, visual proposal, materials and installation, budget, maintenance and durability, anything else); prepare a PDF of the visual proposal (sketches, renderings, references or mood board) named with your last name and the project title, a rough budget with any specialty materials or collaborators, and 300 to 500 words on the concept. Drafts can be edited until the deadline. Designs must be functional and maintainable: moisture-resistant, non-porous materials in wet zones, slip-resistant flooring, no extremely fragile, porous or hard-to-clean materials; ceiling-mounted or suspended elements need pre-approval, and power beyond standard supply or internet is evaluated separately. The budget should cover only specialty work beyond standard construction, and costs beyond the approved budget need SoMad's prior written approval. Bathroom assignments are made during selection. Shortlisted finalists are interviewed for 20 to 30 minutes by Zoom or in person.