Later today, a host of architecture firms will receive awards as part of NYC’s 35th Annual Awards for Excellence in Design [PDF!]. But before that award ceremony gets underway, the mayor’s office is offering us a peek at the winners of this year’s competition, which is a part of the annual NYCxDesign celebration (which takes place every May).
The projects this year were lauded for their sustainable designs, for the attention they paid to enhancing the community, and their detail to preserving historic elements (where it mattered).
“The best public projects are purposeful and use design to build a sense of community and civic pride,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said, in a statement. “We commend the teams behind these critical and creative projects that will help build a stronger, more equitable city and improve services and recreational activities for every New Yorker.”
The recipients of the award are judged by the Public Design Commission, which “comprises 11 members, including an architect, landscape architect, painter, sculptor, and three lay members, as well as representatives of the Brooklyn Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Public Library, and the Mayor.”
Projects considered for the award only include developments proposed on city-owned properties, and candidates are usually submitted by various city agencies. Here now is the list of the award-winning projects this year.
↑ Double Sun by Mary Temple
Gracing the arched entryway to the McCarren Park Pool in North Brooklyn, this large painting was created by artist Mary Temple, and commissioned by the city’s Cultural Affairs, and Parks departments. The title of the work is a nod to the celebration of summer days, and also the particular way through which light is reflected in the archway.
↑ Downtown Far Rockaway Streetscape
A collaborative effort between the city’s Departments of Design and Construction, Transportation, and Parks, along with W Architecture and Landscape Architecture, this project will improve the streetscape in Far Rockaway, and is largely a response to the destruction caused by Hurricane Sandy. The project will see the creation of new sidewalks, public open spaces, and storm and sanitary sewers, among others features. The transformation will take place on Central Avenue, Mott Avenue, Beach 19th Street, Beach 20th Street, Beach 21st Street, and Beach 22nd Street.
↑ Bomb Squad Building
Designed by Rice + Lipka Architects along with Liz Farrell Landscape Architecture, this project is proposed for Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx. The DDC and NYPD commissioned it together after the former bomb squad training facilities were badly damaged by Hurricane Sandy. On the ground floor, the building features cast-in place concrete walls, and there’s an aluminum facade hovering above that, all elements to make the structure more resilient.
↑ Treetop Adventure Zipline and Nature Trek
The Bronx Zoo is set to get a whole new attraction in the form of this zipline and nature walk. Visitors will be able to zip across the Bronx River from 45 feet above, and walk through a 14-foot high netted course that includes narrow beams, and climbing wiggling surfaces.
↑ FIT New Academic Building
Set to be the Fashion Institute of Technology’s first newly constructed building in 50 years, this SHoP-designed project (Mathews Nielsen for landscape) will be located on the northern edge of the campus. The ten-story building will host smart classrooms, a textile lab, administrative offices, and a student life hall, among other features. FIT collaborated with the Department of Education on this one.
↑ Woodside Office, Garage, and Inspection Facility
This sleek new facility in Woodside, Queens will serve as the central inspection location for 13,500 taxis with a capacity to inspect 200 cars each day. The project was designed by TEN Arquitectos with landscape by W Architecture and Landscape Architecture, and undertaken by the DDC along with the Taxi and Limousine Commission.
↑ The Cubes Administration and Education Building
Set to be a part of the Socrates Sculpture Park in Astoria, this particular structure is composed of 18 shipping containers, and created by LOT-EK Architecture and Design. A joint commission of the Parks Department and the sculpture park, the creation will be park’s first permanent structure in its thirty year history, and places an emphasis on reclamation and adaptive re-use. It’s also a nod to the neighborhood’s industrial past. Once complete, it will have administrative facilities, nearly 1,000 square feet of interior space for education activities, and an outdoor deck for classes as well.
↑ Greenpoint Library and Environmental Education Center
The revamp of the single-story Greenpoint Library has been in the works for sometime now, and once complete this Marble Fairbanks Architects and SCAPE Landscape Architecture-led project will create two rooftop gardens, enlarged indoor and outdoor spaces, and a lab for interactive projects. The projects is looking to exceed LEED Silver goals.