The Hudson River Park Trust has chosen LOT-EK to re-design Pier 57 in New York City as a recreational green space, open-air public market, and underwater exhibition and educational space, writes Inhabitat. The Dutch landscape architecture firm, West 8, will design the public spaces, according to World Landscape Architect. Pier 57 is in Chelsea, around 15th street on the West side of Manhattan. LOT-EK proposed that the pier be made of refurbished shipping containers, much like its Puma store in Boston.
Inhabitat says the Hudson River Park Trust was initially concerned with using shipping containers. “The Hudson River Park Trust and community were slightly more weary about if the shipping containers would comply with building codes, not to mention if the shipping containers would make the interior dingy and uninviting.” Apparently, the success and popularity of LOT-EK’s Puma store changed their minds.
Underneath the pier-length green space, which will also be used to watch movies, 170,000 square feet will be developed as work spaces, “ideally rented out to local artisans.” A public market is also in the plans. “LOT-EK (and developer Young Woo & Associates) brought in Urban Space Management to help manage their proposed lively and eclectic mix of renters. Below the water level, the architects propose an additional 90,000-square-foot ‘Underwater Discovery Center,’ which includes exhibition and education spaces.”
LOT-EK’s winning proposal came out of a second round RFP process. According to The Real Deal, all initial proposals fell through.
Read the article and go to Bustler for more photos
Image credit: LOT-EK / via Bustler
As the official blog for the ASLA, you might want to mention the landscape architect for the project (West8).