by: Rick Bell FAIA Executive Director AIA New York
The future of Governors Island is more clear.
Jessica Sheridan
In June 2007, while the five landscape design proposals for Governors Island were on view at the Center for Architecture, there were public meetings at which the designs were presented. It was easy to find good things to say about four of the schemes as they all had interesting design features that would create an exciting and vibrant future for the island, as enunciated in the Governors Island Alliance analysis of the proposals. Of the four schemes, one stood out, particularly in regard to the phased construction of what might be a protracted build-out, given New York State lethargy, so far, about funding for the island. Eventually the island, we know, will achieve adequate levels of financing to create great public spaces and uses.
The winning West 8/Rogers Marvel Architects/Diller Scofidio + Renfro/Quennell Rothschild and Partners/SMWM scheme had several particularly appealing attributes, as described by the team when it was presented at the Center in June:
· “Green like broccoli.”
· “Creates an illusion with gestures and strong identities beyond 19th and 20th century repertories.”
· “Verticality as inspiration.”
· “From day one, an incredible bicycle circuit; the bikes will make the island owned by every New Yorker; six or seven iconic shelters with bike racks.”
· “North Island is already a park.”
· “A circuit of boulevards and promenades providing wind sheltering and continuous route.”
· “Planting strategy keeps view corridor to the water and the Statue of Liberty.”
· “Heart of the island is playing fields.”
· “Flowers and insects in meadows, with playing fields carved out.”
· “Meadows as placeholders for future development.”
· “Positive archaeology to create piles of debris, beautiful sculptural features that can be inhabited and create beautiful view corridors.”
· “100 years evolution of program.”
· “Needs a progressive succession; in the future, new buildings will occur, but buildings shouldn’t swallow the island – the pattern absorbs the buildings.”
· “Canal is a 40-foot-wide, one-way passage, but is not affordable in Phase 1. It would create clarity about the boundaries of the original geological island.”
The advantages of this scheme include experience on many other similar projects, and the design excitement generated by the component firms. The team’s proposal, “World Park,” has a strong identity and addresses the five distinct destinations on Governors Island, the North Island & National Monuments, a Great Lawn, the Promenade, a new vertical landscape, and a marsh. World Park also addresses phasing particularly well.
As analyzed after the presentation, the five most significant features of the proposal included:
Verticality: The use of demolition debris creates a vertical landscape, framing views of the Statue of Liberty, but more importantly creating a significant terrain that rivals in scale the grand structures of the North Island.
Bicycles: The project is described as a bicyclist’s paradise; the provision of identifiable free bicycles that would not migrate off-island a strong feature.
Marsh: It is intriguing to imagine a significant portion of the South Island as a salt-water marsh.
Sustainability: This team presents a clear concept of a “sustainable urban landscape” where natural elements are integrated with the harbor setting.
Separation: The southern end of the island remains significantly wilder; this is accentuated by the possible creation of a 40-foot-wide channel along the original southern edge of the 18th-century island.
Possible disadvantages in this team’s proposal include the difficulty of creating vertical landscape elements that can become occupied interior space. There is also very little mention of recreational areas for team sports such as soccer and softball. At this writing after the selection of the team, it seems that the advantages of the proposal clearly outweigh the disadvantages. Congratulations to the Governors Island Preservation and Education Corporation (GIPEC), its jury, and the winning team.