It may be Chinatown, but the New York City Department of Transportation, the Chinatown Partnership, and Van Alen Institute aren’t about to forget it. A new collaboration between the three entities looks to find a new contemporary neighborhood marker at the Canal Street Triangle, a triangular traffic island flanked by Canal Street, Baxter Street, and Walker Street.
The project is seeking proposals that will create a new landmark for Chinatown and the surrounding neighborhoods that will “engender pride of place, embody cultural and social identities, and stimulate economic development.”
The design teams will need to take on the challenge of activating the relatively small space by honoring the neighborhoods past and present and packing it with interactive technologies and green space.
The winning proposal will replace a kiosk that sits on the site currently and connect two of Manhattan’s most iconic neighborhoods – Chinatown and Little Italy.
The organizers want the prospective teams to consider the following questions:
- How can the site serve as a “gateway” responding to tradition as well as adapting to ever-changing cultural and generational demographics and technology?
- How can the gateway connect and bring together existing communities and create new opportunities for both locals and visitors to experience the area in fresh ways?
- How can the gateway site link to other gateways within Chinatown, across the city and around the world?
Teams have until June 19, 2017 to submit their proposals. The winning team will be selected in fall 2017 and design and implementation will begin in 2018. For more information, click here.
Related Stories
| Dec 28, 2014
The future of airport terminal design: destination status, five-star amenities, stress-free travel
Taking a cue from the hospitality industry, airport executives are seeking to make their facilities feel more like destinations, writes HOK's Richard Gammon.
| Dec 28, 2014
10 key design interventions for a healthier, happier, and more productive workplace
Numerous studies and mountains of evidence confirm what common sense has long suggested: healthy, happier workers are more productive, more likely to collaborate with colleagues, and more likely to innovate in ways that benefit the bottom line, writes Gensler's Kirsten Ritchie.
| Dec 28, 2014
7 fresh retail design strategies
Generic ‘boxes’ and indifferent service won’t cut it with today’s savvy shoppers. Retailers are seeking a technology-rich-but-handmade vibe, plus greater speed to market and adaptability.
| Dec 28, 2014
Workplace design trends: Make way for the Millennials
Driven by changing work styles, mobile technology, and the growing presence of Millennials, today’s workplaces are changing, mostly for the better. We examine the top office design trends.
| Dec 28, 2014
AIA: Commercial glass façade and door systems
When it comes to selecting fenestration systems—particularly glass facades and door systems—a number of factors come into play, requiring a thorough evaluation of a project’s individual requirements.
| Dec 28, 2014
10 essential habits of successful architects
Want to take the next step as a design processional? John Gresko, Senior Project Architect with HDR, explores the traits that many great architects possess.
| Dec 28, 2014
10 unglamorous things architects do
An acquaintance recently asked me about the kinds of things I did on a day-to-day basis at work, anticipating a response loaded with enviable activities. She was wrong, writes HDR's John Gresko.
| Dec 28, 2014
New trends in ceiling designs and materials [AIA course]
A broad array of new and improved ceiling products offers designers everything from superior acoustics and closed-loop, recycled content to eased integration with lighting systems, HVAC diffusers, fire sprinkler heads, and other overhead problems. This course describes how Building Teams are exploring ways to go beyond the treatment of ceilings as white, monolithic planes.
| Dec 27, 2014
7 ways to enhance workplace mobility
The open work environment has allowed owners to house more employees in smaller spaces, minimizing the required real estate and capital costs. But, what about all of their wireless devices?
| Dec 27, 2014
'Core-first' construction technique cuts costs, saves time on NYC high-rise project
When Plaza Construction first introduced the concept of "core first" in managing the construction of a major office building, the procedure of pouring concrete prior to erecting a steel frame had never been done in New York City.