Dec 12, 2025
WE START WITH THE THINGS WE FIND
concept & vision
our conversion of Pier 57 seeks to transform the utilitarian industrial building into an open and public space that weaves, within its four-level existing structure, the outdoor environment of the Hudson River Park with cultural and leisure indoor activities.
design & architecture
we retain the existing interior ramp connecting ground and second floor and let it continue to the roof as an open public street, a diagonal trajectory to take visitors through the building directly from the main entrance along the Hudson River Park promenade as an inclined extension of 15th street flanked by activity, open to city and sky views and bathed by natural light. The interior architecture of the retail/urban market is articulated through the reuse of shipping containers, as a sustainable practice as well as a reference to the shipping history of the river and the pier previous port function
program & use
the new use is centered around food with open markets, restaurants and retail on ground and second levels, a park with an outdoor movie and performance amphitheater on the roof, a boat marina with cafés along the exterior esplanades
impact & significance
we attempt to transform a large industrial structure through careful urban weaving and a smaller scale fabric, and gain full community support. Till the development team behind the project fails to earn trust, and the new developer and AOR take the project off our hands, changing the rules of the original RFP and making the building mostly corporate and private