NOT NOT: An Office, An Exhibition Archives

Photos: NOT NOT Opening

June 18, 2026 12:45 pm Comments Off

NOT NOT opening. Photo: Argenis Apolinario

Thank you everyone who joined us for the opening of NOT NOT! As promised, it was not not a party. We blurred the lines between office space and exhibition venue, again transforming our Urban Room into something new entirely.

This unusual exhibition is part display, part working studio. NOT NOT founders Ekin Bilal and Celia Chaussabel are working out of our storefront through the summer as they launch their new design practice. You’re welcome to enter their space, learn about their past projects, and engage with them as they work.

NOT NOT is on view through August 15, Monday–Thursday, 10 am–6 pm. Click here for more info on the exhibition and more extended weekend hours.

Learn more

NOT NOT: An Office, An Exhibition

On view through August 15, Van Alen transforms into an exhibition and temporary office space of the newly-launched design studio NOT NOT.

See Project

Van Alen Vanguard

A cohort of rising professionals reimagining cities, public space, and designers’ roles in civic life.

See Project

Urban Room

Using our HQ to host public programs and as a flexible community space.

See Project

NOT NOT: Office Launch + Exhibition Reception

June 8, 2026 12:21 pm Comments Off

NOT NOT: An Office, An Exhibition
Office Launch and Exhibition Reception
303 Bond Street, Brooklyn

RSVP

Please join us to celebrate the launch of NOT NOT and the opening of a space that is not quite an exhibition, not quite an office, and definitely not not a party.

Founded by Celia Chaussabel and Ekin Bilal, NOT NOT is a design practice working across architecture, objects, and stories. The office explores the overlooked spaces, materials, and systems that shape the built environment, from maintenance routines and demolition debris to regulatory gray zones and infrastructures that sustain buildings over time.

The eponymous exhibition NOT NOT features a mix of recent work by Chaussabel and Bilal alongside new designs, commissions, and proposals. Side-by-side with architectural drawings and models, the exhibition includes animations, video games, comics, furniture, and other formats that expand how architecture can be made and shared.

RSVP

Ekin Bilal and Celia Chaussabel are members of the Van Alen Vanguard, a network of 21 emerging design leaders. Activating Van Alen’s space at 303 Bond Street, the Vanguard develops public programs and exhibitions that reimagine designers’ roles in civic life. NOT NOT is the first exhibition presented as part of the Van Alen Vanguard.

NOT NOT is supported by Independent Projects, a grant program of the New York State Council on the Arts and The Architectural League of New York. Independent Projects is made possible by public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.