The Hudson River Park Trust has recently announced the winning design for New York City’s Pier 57, a long floating pier built on concrete caissons in 1952. The pier, located in Chelsea at West 15th Street and West Street on the western edge of the Meat Packing District, is part of the Hudson River Park development. New York firm Lot-EK with developer Young Woo & Associates are set to design a rooftop park crowning a small shopping center of local artisan stores built with recycled shipping containers. The center will also include a contemporary culture center with spaces for exhibitions, galleries, auctions and entertainment.
More about Pier 57 after the break.
The pier’s basic structure will be preserved, with layers of containers holding a mix of studio, retail and community spaces. Many of the small spaces will be rented to local artisans as a way to bring in revenue and give the pier street-credibility and community ties. The proposal’s emphasis on creating a niche for local artists and fusing an innovative mix of uses offers an attractive solution for the site.
“The community working group liked the fact that the proposal generated fewer vehicular trips,” explained President of the Board Connie Fishman. Others found the proposal attractive due to its estimated $191 million cost, as oppose to the other proposals that were estimated at over $330 million.
Yet, before being selected, LOT-EK had to prove to the jury that the shipping-container design would satisfy building codes and also create a high-quality experience. Although the jury was apprehensive about the containers, upon seeing LOT-EK’s earlier container projects for Puma City (as we reported earlier on AD), the jury was convinced the project was feasible.
The pier design still has a long way to go before its visions will be a reality. The plan still has to clear the ULURP and environmental review hurdles before beginning construction.
As seen on Bustler and the Architect’s Newspaper.
