FANCY, BUT FUNCTIONAL: Six “People’s Choice” finalists are on display at the Princeton Public Library as part of a competition that will determine the design of a revived information kiosk by the Princeton Garden Theatre at the corner of Nassau Street and Vandeventer Avenue. The final design is now up for a community vote.
By Matthew Hersh
The information kiosks on Nassau Street have served as phone booths; cluttered, but useful community bulletin boards; and even protection for people seeking immediate refuge from a passing storm.
They weren’t a streetscape game-changer in the 1980s when they first surfaced, but they have emerged as part of the fabric of the downtown: landmarks that are familiar to passers-by as a place for community information. Earlier this year, after Princeton Council discussed how the kiosks would fit into new streetscape improvements, the municipality teamed up with AIA New Jersey to embark on a community competition that could shape at least a small part of the downtown.
As part of Princeton’s Nassau Street Streetscape Project, the town solicited designs from the community for a new information kiosk to serve as “a vital civic and wayfinding hub at the heart of the community,” according to an announcement
from the municipality. In partnership with AIA New Jersey, the town has launched the Princeton Kiosk Design Competition, “inviting professional architects and students to help shape the future of downtown Princeton through thoughtful, functional, and sustainable design.”
The Nassau Street Streetscape Project examines how residents and visitors engage with downtown. Part of this initiative is a new civic information kiosk that serves as a central hub for wayfinding, local events, and community resources, according to the announcement.
Last week, six finalists from the projects submitted were placed on display in the Princeton Public Library lobby, representing the kiosks’ years-long transformation from a perceived eyesore to some to the “People’s Choice.” The winning submission would be located on Nassau Street and Vandeventer Avenue.
The kiosk competition echoes former downtown architectural installations that fuse art and functionality like Quark Park and the Writers Block at the one-time undeveloped Palmer Square North. Those projects, however, were temporary, whereas the Streetscape Project envisions a kiosk that is modern, helps visitors downtown get around, and maintains the visual presence that locals have come to expect.
From “combining the charm of Princeton and the ambiance of Paris with the speed of modern technology” to an “open, functional, and inviting” kiosk whose central walkway “encourages pedestrians to move through it instead of around it,” the finalists run the spectrum of functionality and design.
Princeton Council discussed the future of the kiosks in March 2025, as part of the review of capital improvements needed during Nassau Street’s sidewalk replacement. Then, Deputy Administrator Deanna Stockton recommended permanently removing the kiosk at Witherspoon Street, and transforming the one at Vandeventer Avenue into a combination of new electronic signage and the current model that allows for unlimited paper postings.
The initial jury included architects, Princeton officials, community leaders, and business stakeholders. Top finalists and voting of the People’s Choice are available at princetonnj.gov/1767/Kiosk-Design-Competition.