by: Linda G. Miller
OMA Transforms Former Detroit Bakery into Community Arts Hub
The LANTERN, a community arts hub designed by OMA/Jason Long, has opened in the Little Village section of Detroit, an initiative of Library Street Collective (LSC). Sited on a parcel composed of three connected structures, including a bakery that was in use from the 1920s-60s, the new 22,300-square-foot complex is now the headquarters for Signal-Return and PASC (Progressive Arts Studio Collective), two local arts non-profits, as well as a mix of galleries, artist studios, gathering spaces for the public, and community-serving retail. Taking advantage of the building’s state of disrepair, an area that was missing both its roof and an end wall was transformed into a courtyard, a publicly accessible space at the heart of the building. Across the North Building, existing bricked or boarded-up doors and windows have been strategically opened. Operable windows were inserted at the studios to allow for ventilation, extruded windows in the galleries became art vitrines, and former loading entries offer indoor-outdoor potential. In contrast, the South Building posed a solid expanse of concrete masonry (CMU). Rather than imposing a new composition of windows, 1,353 holes were drilled into the blank walls and filled with cylindrical glass blocks. This field of tiny punctures subtly reveals light and movement within and transforms the building into a glowing lantern at night.
New Mary Cali Dalton Center on Staten Island Under Construction
Currently under construction, the Mary Cali Dalton Center, a two-story, 45,000-square-foot recreation center designed by ikon.5 architects, replaces one that was destroyed during Superstorm Sandy. Located on a surface parking lot in the Tompkinsville section of Staten Island, the property was part of the working waterfront before it was transferred in 1934 from the Department of Docks to the Parks Department for recreational use. It sits adjacent to the Lyons Pool Complex, a New York City-designated landmark built in 1936 in the Art Moderne style by the WPA. The center was conceived as a “garden of wellness” and rooms are filled with northern daylight, northwest prevailing breezes, and a strong visual connection to the waterfront. The facility will offer a variety of recreational amenities, including sports courts, four electric vehicle charging stations, an indoor-outdoor running track, and fitness and cardio rooms. In addition, the on-site energy generating all-electric facility approaches Net Zero operation. A Welcome Garden at the site’s entry acts as an extension of the waterfront and transforms the pool complex into a civic destination within a larger public park along the harbor. This center mass terraces away from the pool in deference to its scale and offers a low-maintenance, drought- and marine-resistant landscaped roof garden for recreational programming and reflection while offering views across the bay. The raised composition resolves a challenging tight site set between a severe flood zone, the MTA railroad, and bridge abutment. The design/build delivery project in collaboration with Kokolakis Construction under the auspices of the DDC, is expected to be completed next summer.
MESH Architectures Breaks Ground on Second Mass Timber Residential in Brooklyn
MESH Architectures has begun construction on their second residential mass timber project in Brooklyn. The ground-up, four-story, 3,500-square-foot single family residence located in Williamsburg utilizes cross-laminated timber (CLT) and glulam for the structure, walls, and floors. The first floor contains the living and dining spaces and the kitchen, which is adjacent to a 22-foot by 15-foot internal landscaped courtyard. The courtyard separates the main living space from the bedrooms and simultaneously exposes rooms to the sunlight. The mezzanine above overlooks the living/dining area and contains the family’s home office. Much of the CLT in the living spaces is left exposed, which works towards achieving low carbon construction. A custom CLT staircase that is also left exposed runs through the entire height of the house and reaches the third-floor roof deck, ending at the large, sloped roof which supports solar panels. The risers on the stairs are also constructed of exposed CLT and are affixed into the CLT walls. A brass and climbing rope handrail traverse the floors of the house. Designed to Passive House standards, the project uses sustainable materials throughout. To reach net-zero energy standards, the house minimizes energy consumption while maximizing energy generation, including the geothermal wells that provide efficient heating and cooling throughout. This is MESH Architectures’ second mass timber residential project. The first, called Timber House, located in Park Slope, was the first mass timber condominium in the New York region.
Related Companies and Wynn Resorts Unveil Next Phase of Hudson Yards Entertainment Complex
Related Companies and Wynn Resorts have unveiled details on the next phase of Hudson Yards, a mixed-use development located at 30–31st Street between 11th and 12th Avenues above the rail yards west of Hudson Yards. As part of a master plan designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), the centerpiece of the development is Hudson Green, a new 5.6-acre public park comparable in size to Bryant Park, designed by Hollander Design and Sasaki. The green space will feature a dog run, over 300 trees, 500 shrubs, flower beds, and various native plantings throughout the active landscape. The plan also includes 1,500 housing units, including 324 affordable apartments and K–8 public school. As previously reported, one of the main components is Wynn New York City, a tower containing approximately 1,750 hotel rooms, 250 extended stay rooms, conference space, casual and fine dining, spa facilities, event spaces, and upscale gaming. The architecture and design of the resort is being led by Wynn Design and Develop, Wynn Resorts’ in-house team of designers, architects, and creatives. At meetings with locals over the last two years, the developers also unveiled new details around the community benefits of the proposal, including the Wynn Neighborhood Improvement Fund, yet many find fault with the proposal. It is up to New York State whether this site will be granted a gaming license. The project is still awaiting approval from City and State officials.
Toshiko Mori Renovates Brooklyn Public Library
The second phase of the ongoing renovation of the Brooklyn Public Library’s (BPL) Central Library at Grand Army Plaza has begun. Toshiko Mori Architect’s design preserves the original Art Deco architecture while continuing to increase available public space as was done during Phase One in 2021. This phase includes updating the Adult Learning Center which includes dedicated collections, a computer lab, a seminar room for courses and meetings, and flexible gathering spaces for lifelong learners; a new Teen Center which will feature expanded collections, a study area and a Tech Center, which will include flexible multipurpose rooms, recording pods for music and podcasts, and a gaming center; restored Collection Areas will maintain historical elements while increasing functionality and providing inviting spaces; and a renovated Children’s Center will be restored to the space’s historic grandeur while introducing informal playful gathering spots, interactive shelving displays, a technology center, and reading nooks. Additional work includes restoring Central Library’s Trustees Rooms, the building’s exterior facades and roof, plus all renovated areas will receive full MEP upgrades. The original Beaux-Arts design by architect Raymond F. Almirall broke ground in 1921. After delays, the library finally opened in 1941. Its design evokes an open book, with its spine on Grand Army Plaza and two wings opening like pages onto Eastern Parkway and Flatbush Avenue. At 352,000-square-feet, with circulation of more than 1.7 million materials and an annual door count of 1.3 million visits, Central is Brooklyn’s home library, and one of New York City’s foremost cultural, civic, and educational institutions.
The Local Center’s Connected Corridors Program Enlivens Main Streets
Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) in Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island, are receiving funding and technical assistance and are envisioning the future of their public spaces through the Local Center, a partnership between Urban Design Forum and the Association for Neighborhood & Housing Development (ANHD). As part of the Local Center’s Connected Corridors: Envisioning the Future of Our Main Streets program, architecture and design firms are paired with the BIDs and projects are in various stages of progress. di Domenico and Partners is working with the Queens Lighting Collective and the Sunnyside Shines BID to reimagine public spaces that are shaped by 7 Train viaduct, which presently divides the Sunnyside community. Via temporary installations that are both sustainable and replicable, the team is transforming the transit infrastructure into an active, safe, multi-use neighborhood space. “Gateway to Sunnyside” is a three-month long lighting installation in Sabba Park that serves as an entrance to the neighborhood and references the Art Deco architecture and imagery found throughout the neighborhood. The team is working to develop a Sunnyside Night Market that will take place beneath the viaduct at Lowry Plaza this fall, celebrating Sunnyside’s diversity through food, art, and performances. Other Local Center projects include the 161st Street BID in the Capitol District in the Bronx who is working with MUD Workshop, Habitat Workshop, and Sighte Studio, the Pitkin Avenue BID serving Brownsville, Brooklyn is working with Studio Cooke John, and A+A+A is partnering with the Staten Island Urban Center to launch an Afro-Caribbean Food & Spice Market, transforming a blighted Tompkinsville Park.
In Case You Missed It…
The Met will present Materialized Space: The Architecture of Paul Rudolph, on view from September 30, 2024, through March 16, 2025. The exhibition will showcase the full breadth of his important contributions to architecture. Featuring over 80 works built and unbuilt, from small objects that he collected throughout his life to a mix of materials generated from his office, the exhibition includes drawings, models, furniture, material samples, and photos. It is organized by Abraham Thomas, the Daniel Brodsky Curator, Modern Architecture, Design, and Decorative Arts in The Met’s Department of Modern and Contemporary Art in collaboration with the Library of Congress’s Paul Marvin Rudolph Archive.
Pioneer Works, a creative nonprofit organization based in a 19th century ironworks factory in Red Hook, Brooklyn, has reopened after months of renovations by Peterson Rich Office (PRO). The 20,000-square-foot cultural complex is now totally ADA accessible. The roof is being fortified to accommodate an Observatory, which, when opened, will be free and accessible to the public.
The National Park Service (NPS) is partnering with the National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities and the Institute for Museum and Library Services to award Save America’s Treasures Grants to 59 sites in 26 states and the District of Columbia. In New York, funds will be allocated to St. Bartholomew’s Church on Park Avenue, designed by Stanford White and built in 1918, and author Washington Irving’s Sunnyside, known as America’s first “literary landmark,” located in in Tarrytown, NY.
The City wants to put the park back into Park Avenue and has released an RFP to redesign Park Avenue between East 46th Street and East 57th Street to create a safer, more welcoming corridor by adding greenery, public seating, concessions, and safer crossings for pedestrians. Through the RFP process, DOT is seeking design services from a contractor with a background in landscape architecture or urban design to help fill in that wider median, encompassing pedestrian enhancements, cycling infrastructure, landscaping, and innovative streetscape amenities.