Photos: Sukkah installations arrive in downtown Detroit

As part of the Detroit Month of Design, an international Sukkah x Detroit competition drew 78 design applications from 14 countries. The result? Capitol Park is currently home to five sukkahs, traditionally temporary structures in Jewish culture to give thanks for the fall harvest and commemorate the exodus from Egypt. The winning designs hail from the UK; Gibraltar; Portland, Oregon; Cambridge, Massachusetts; and Detroit.

Sukkah x Detroit is meant to celebrate both Detroit’s designation of a UNESCO City of Design and its rich history with urban farming. Serving as the symbolic centerpiece of the Jewish festival of Sukkot, the structures today represent “themes of transience, hospitality, and community.” Each sukkah uses different materials for its structure, but each include seating and they all let in natural light.

The winning designs were chosen from a jury comprised of many from the Detroit design community, and reviewed by Rabbis Ariana Silverman and Yisrael Pinson to ensure that they meet biblical requirements.

The presentation also includes corresponding events throughout the week, and additional programming and displays of all the designs submitted can be found in the nearby Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue.

They’re right in front of the now-activated temporary workspaces (usually markets) in Capitol Park, and they’re open for the public to visit from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. through September 30.