The New York-based architecture and design magazine, Metropolis (metropolismag.com), covers the full spectrum of design with a critical perspective and a long standing tradition of highlighting the potential of design with the arenas of politics, culture, social justice, and sustainability.
Parsons MA Design Studies program has been fortunate to place several interns over the past everal years: Dora Sapunar, Class of ’14; Komal Sharma, Class of 15′; and Estefania Acostica, Class of 16′. EAch of them share their experiences below. Internships are important opportunities encouraged by the Design Studies program for the ways in which they enable students to transfer the knowledge gained within an academic setting to a workplace environment. Metropolis offers an ideal complement to the Design Studies program’s critical interdisciplinary approach to the consequences and possibilities of design.
Dora Sapunar, Class of 2014
I interned at Metropolis in the summer of 2013. The internship included doing research for magazine features, attending events and exhibitions—from the Le Corbusier exhibition at the MoMA to the FitCity Conference at the AIA Center for Architecture—as well as writing blog posts on any and all topics that I was interested in. My favorite projects included helping with research on gender inequality in architecture for the infographics supporting Alexandra Lange’s article Architecture’s Lean In Moment (http://www.metropolismag.com/July-August-2013/Architectures-Lean-In-Moment/) and writing about James Turrell’s sublime exhibition at the Guggenheim (http://www.metropolismag.com/Point-of-View/July-2013/The-Temple-of-Spirit/). Working with Metropolis editors was a great learning experience (not to mention very fun!) and I’m still always excited to contribute to the magazine.
Komal Sharma, Class of 2015
The few months I spent at Metropolis magazine was a great learning experience. It offered a terrific opportunity to learn how to write clearly and quickly. The experience helped me to be connected with what’s happening in the city, and there’s always a lot happening. I was able to go to exhibitions, write about them, interview designers. The Contemporary International Furniture Fair (ICFF) and New York Design week happened during my time at the magazine, and I was able to attend those events, meet people, and write. At Metropolis, it’s really about how much can you do, how much do you want to do. The team–Paul Makovsky, Avinash Rajagopal, Shannon Sharpe, and Samuel Medina–are fantastic and always happy to guide you. Even after my internship ended, I have continued to ask them for freelance work, and they’ve always responded with opportunities. The day I was leaving, I was moved by their friendship. They surprised me with a cake!
Estefania Acosta, Class of 2016
The office of Metropolis magazine houses a surprisingly small team. The office environment consists of shelves full of magazines and books and mountains of papers. I’ve been an intern in the editorial department for about a month, now. Thankfully, the majority of the work is researching and writing. When that’s not the case, it’s usually because there’s an interview that needs to be transcribed. It takes a lot of time, but I enjoy it—the last one I did was with an association that promotes unknown female architects. Before that, I listened to a very passionate conversation with the head of a company that designs toilets. The opportunities to learn, needless to say, are plentiful. The magazine itself is a great source of information for designers and architects. Being able to contribute to the content is a great experience in making thing concise and learning to let your writing go. Editing is important, but I’ve only recently learned when to stop—the deadline.