All articles by Dana Schulz

POLL: Do You Prefer Bjarke Ingels’ Wave-Like Tower or the Free-Fall Ride for Penn Station?
June 16, 2016

POLL: Do You Prefer Bjarke Ingels’ Wave-Like Tower or the Free-Fall Ride for Penn Station?

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While Governor Cuomo is busy trying to make his plans for $3 billion in renovations at Penn Station a reality, developers are hot to come up with a new design for 2 Penn Plaza, the tower directly above the station and Madison Square Garden. Vornado Realty Trust, who owns roughly nine million square feet around Penn Station including 2 Penn Plaza, released renderings in March for a glassy, wave-like tower by starchitect of the moment Bjarke Ingels. The concept is quite a departure from the current, stale state of the site, but yesterday an even more futuristic idea came to the table. Brooklyn Capital Partners tapped AE Superlab to create a plan for the world's tallest free-fall tower ride above the station. "Halo," as it would be called, would rise 1,200 feet from the roof, have 11 cars, and move as quickly as 100 miles per hour, giving it a top-to-base free fall of about six seconds. BIG's design wouldn't change much in the way of 2 Penn Plaza's current configuration, but it would create more retail space at the base. Halo, though it would cost $637 million to build, claims it would bring in up to $38 million a year for the state. Since Brooklyn Capital is contending with Vornado Realty Trust and Related Companies to upgrade the space, we want to know which of these ideas you think is a better fit.
Vote for your choice!
Design Teams Propose Inflatable Tunnel, New Train Lines As Solutions to L Train Shutdown
June 15, 2016

Design Teams Propose Inflatable Tunnel, New Train Lines As Solutions to L Train Shutdown

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Among the proposals gaining steam to mitigate the imminent L train shutdown are the East River Skyway, an aerial gondola system that would run along the Brooklyn waterfront and into Manhattan, and a car-free 14th Street. But the Van Alen Institute wanted to open the brainstorming to the wider public. As part of their "L Train Shutdown Charrette," this past Sunday, six interdisciplinary design teams who were selected as finalists presented their creative and fanciful proposals, including everything from a floating inflatable tunnel to an all-access transportation pass called Lemonade Line. The winning design "Transient Transit – Revitalizing Industrial Infrastructure" comes from Kohn Pedersen Fox and Happold Engineering, who propose utilizing Newtown Creek for a water shuttle and the LIRR freight tracks for passenger service.
More on the winner and some of the notable honorable mentions
LaGuardia Airport Overhaul Will Cost More Than $7B, Cuomo Releases New Renderings
June 15, 2016

LaGuardia Airport Overhaul Will Cost More Than $7B, Cuomo Releases New Renderings

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Since Governor Cuomo announced his plans last July for LaGuardia Airport's long-awaited revamp, the price tag has been set at $4 billion, but yesterday at a groundbreaking for the project, that number rose to a whopping $7 billion, reports The Real Deal. Alongside Vice President Biden, the Governor explained that phase one, which includes the replacement of the Central Terminal Building (Terminal B), will carry the $4 billion cost, while the redevelopment of Delta's Terminals C and D will require another $3 billion. And that's not all; the new AirTrain and 24-hour ferry service will require even more funds. Aside from the updated cost estimates, Tuesday's affair also brought new details and renderings.
See them all here
Check Out the Manhattan Skyline in 2020! New Development Sales to Hit $8.4B This Year
June 14, 2016

Check Out the Manhattan Skyline in 2020! New Development Sales to Hit $8.4B This Year

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As part of their Manhattan New Development Report, CityRealty has released a trio of skyline renderings that show how the city will appear in 2020 -- looking south from the Lower East Side, north from the tip of the island, and of course, down on Central Park South's Billionaires' Row. The eye-popping images underscore the fact that new developments have been "markedly above the average price of all other Manhattan condos since 2013." The average sales price in new developments is expected to hit $4.4 million this year and $5.7 million by 2018. By comparison, the expected average price of a non-new development condo for 2016 is $2.65 million. Moreover, new development sales totaled $5.4 billion last year, up from 2014's $4.1 billion. This figure is expected to reach $8.4 billion this year and more than $10 billion by 2018.
See all the renderings and find out which buildings are leading the pack
Landmarks Approves Roman Abramovich’s $80M UES Makeshift Mansion
June 14, 2016

Landmarks Approves Roman Abramovich’s $80M UES Makeshift Mansion

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Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich started assembling his $78 million trio of Upper East Side townhouses at 11-15 East 75th Street back in January of 2015, but it wasn't until this past March that he first released his proposal to combine the townhouses into a giant mansion. The Department of Buildings rejected his initial, $6 million proposal, which called for "an 18,255-square-foot mansion with a six-foot front yard, 30-foot backyard, and pool in the cellar," as 6sqft previously reported. But since the homes are located within the Upper East Side Historic District, it's the Landmarks Preservation Commission who has the final say. The LPC also rejected Abramovich's first proposal in April, but today they reviewed and approved a revised plan from his architect Steven Wang, along with big-name firm Herzog & de Meuron as design consultant. It calls for a modified restoration of the current facades and the removal of the rear yard building elements to be replaced with a garden and new glass facade that unites the three homes.
More details this way
Construction on LaGuardia AirTrain Kicks Off This Afternoon
June 14, 2016

Construction on LaGuardia AirTrain Kicks Off This Afternoon

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Earlier this month, it was announced that work on Governor Cuomo's $4 billion overhaul of LaGuardia Airport would begin this summer, and today NY1 reports that a groundbreaking ceremony for the new AirTrain (part of the overall modernization plan) is taking place this afternoon. It will span 1.5 miles along the Grand Central Parkway, connecting with the 7 train and Long Island Railroad at Willets Point. A 2015 estimate put its cost at $450 million.
Find out more
Aerial Photographer Peter Massini Captures NYC’s Hidden Rooftop Patios and Gardens
June 14, 2016

Aerial Photographer Peter Massini Captures NYC’s Hidden Rooftop Patios and Gardens

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Peter Massini is a multi-disciplinary photographer, working on architecture, landscapes, and graphic patterns. But his specialty is aerial views, for which he hangs from the open door of a helicopter on almost a daily basis. 6sqft got a look at one of his recent aerial collections of New York City's rooftop patios and gardens that he shot from 1,500 feet in the air. These hidden oases reveal an entirely unique mashup of concrete jungle and green space. "What led me to shoot these from above was my interest in true green roofs and their benefits for the eye as well as the environment," Peter told us.
See all the photographs this way
The NYC ‘Ghostbusters’ Service Map Transforms the Subway System With Film Nostalgia
June 13, 2016

The NYC ‘Ghostbusters’ Service Map Transforms the Subway System With Film Nostalgia

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If you missed the chance to visit the recent "Ghostbusters" headquarters recreation in Williamsburg, 6sqft has dug up a fun map that'll provide a dose of movie nostalgia. The New York City Ghostbusters Service Map was created by print and product designer Anthony Petrie as a witty version of the subway map, complete with notable locations from the film like Hook & Ladder 8 in Tribeca, Holy Trinity Church, the Public Library, and 55 Central Park West where Dana's apartment was. The subway lines spell out ECTO-1 and are titled as various particle beams, and stations stops are changed to names such as Destructor Drive, Clairvoyance Cove, Sanctum of Slime Street, and Who Ya Gonna Call Cul-De-Sac.
Get a look at the full-size map
Weekly Highlights: Top Picks From the 6sqft Staff
June 11, 2016

Weekly Highlights: Top Picks From the 6sqft Staff

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Brooklyn Design Firm Creates Dramatic Living Spaces Inside a Williamsburg Loft Another Luxury Development May Rise on Billionaires’ Row New ‘Solar Canopy’ Can Be Installed Atop Any NYC Building to Provide Solar Power Apply Now For 63 Affordable Units Next to Woodlawn Cemetery, Starting at $865/Month Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick Pay $34.5M for […]

VIDEO: Spend a Night in a 300-Square-Foot Micro-Apartment at Carmel Place
June 10, 2016

VIDEO: Spend a Night in a 300-Square-Foot Micro-Apartment at Carmel Place

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Just yesterday, 6sqft took a look at the available market-rate units at Carmel Place, the city's first micro-housing development. If you're debating submitting an application for one of these apartments--which at less than half the size of traditional studios are still asking from $2,570 to $3,200 per month--this video from the Times may help firm your decision. In it, reporter Penelope Green spends a night in a 302-square-foot unit that rents for $2,670 a month and features the building's host of space-saving furniture like a sofa-wall bed combo (which, though surprisingly comfortable, will give you your daily upper body workout) and a 17-inch deep desk that extends to a 10-person dining table.
Watch the full video here
Diane von Furstenberg Will Help Fund New Statue of Liberty Museum
June 10, 2016

Diane von Furstenberg Will Help Fund New Statue of Liberty Museum

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Fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg and husband Barry Diller are well known in the philanthropic circuit as supporters of cultural public spaces. They were early funders of the High Line, and construction is soon to commence on Diller's $150 million+ futuristic offshore park known as Pier 55. Their latest endeavor will be backing a new Statue of Liberty museum, as the Wall Street Journal reports that von Furstenberg has joined the board of the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation and agreed to assist with fundraising. The announcement for a new, free-standing museum designed by FXFOWLE comes as the Statue of Liberty nears its 130th anniversary in October. Currently, the exhibition space is housed in the statue's pedestal, but because of its size and security concerns only about 20 percent of the 4.3 million annual visitors can access this museum. The National Park Service, in an environmental review put out last month, said the 15,000-square-foot project is "intended to increase public access to exhibits on the history, construction and legacy of the statue, and provide additional shelter during inclement weather."
More details on the building
NYC Gets Its First Official Iconography; Can Empty Restaurants Double as Co-Working Spaces?
June 10, 2016

NYC Gets Its First Official Iconography; Can Empty Restaurants Double as Co-Working Spaces?

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Amidst a very public divorce, Johnny Depp is auctioning off nine of his personal Jean-Michel Basquiat paintings. [Page Six] Believe it or not, the city has never had official iconography. But now NYC & Company has launched 250 pictograms, as well as a redesigned website and two new typefaces. [Fast Co. Design] There are 2,000 empty restaurants during the […]

VIDEO: Frank Lloyd Wright on His Arrogance and the ‘Greed’ That Built NYC
June 9, 2016

VIDEO: Frank Lloyd Wright on His Arrogance and the ‘Greed’ That Built NYC

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"Fellow architects have called him everything from a great poet to an insupportable windbag," begins Mike Wallace in a 1957 interview with Frank Lloyd Wright. This is the setup for a talk with the famous architect in which he asserts he could rebuild the entire country if he had 15 more years and that the New York City skyline is nothing more than a "race for rent," a monument to "the power of money and greed," and completely lacking any ideas. In this animated video from PBS Digital Studio (h/t Reddit), set to the historic interview, we learn why Wright thinks centuries of architecture failed, what he feels is wrong with St. Patrick's Cathedral, and how he believes he received the title of "arrogant."
Watch the full video here
Zen Out in Your Apartment With the Meditation Tipi
June 9, 2016

Zen Out in Your Apartment With the Meditation Tipi

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Even the most cynical, high-strung New Yorkers need a little "namaste" time. If committing to a yoga membership seems like too much, why not get one of these Meditation Tipis, which allow you to "create your own sacred space for meditation, connection, writing, reading and more." Made in Bozeman, Montana by Little Turtle's Tipi, these handmade canvas teepees come with an imitation fur rug and a salt crystal aroma lamp for your favorite essential oils. And with a diameter of only six feet and height of seven, they're perfect for even the smallest apartments.
Find out how to get your own
Work Begins on Times Square ‘Activity Areas’ to Confine Characters and Performers
June 9, 2016

Work Begins on Times Square ‘Activity Areas’ to Confine Characters and Performers

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Mayor de Blasio first started pushing to corral the costumed characters and topless performers in Times Square last August, and now almost a year later work has begun on a reconfiguration of the area, reports the Daily News. A preliminary map that divided the plazas into three zones was released in September, but a new, final version was issued on Wednesday. Called "TSq Plaza Rules Cheat Sheet," it splits the tourist mecca into Chill Zones (places to "sit, nosh, meditate, take in the sites"), De$ignated Activity Zones ("commercial activities, street entertainment, posing for photos, vendors of expressive matter... in exchange for compensation, donation, or tips"), and Express Lanes ("pedestrian through lanes, NYC style"). After the City Council passed legislation eight weeks ago that gave the Department of Transportation the power to relocate the performers and ticket sellers, workers began painting the colored lines to delineate the zones on Wednesday night.
See the full map
Time Warner Actually Is the Worst; Can ‘Hamilton’ Beat the Robots?
June 9, 2016

Time Warner Actually Is the Worst; Can ‘Hamilton’ Beat the Robots?

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We’ve been right all along; Time Warner Cable has the worst customer satisfaction in the country. [Gothamist] To prevent Zika, a Long Island town is installing homemade wooden boxes to attract bats that can eat 1,000 mosquitoes an hour. [Inhabitat] West 103rd Street between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue has officially been renamed Norman Rockwell Place. [NYT] Anthony […]

‘Muhammad Ali Way’ Street Sign Appears Outside Madison Square Garden

Via DOT

June 8, 2016

‘Muhammad Ali Way’ Street Sign Appears Outside Madison Square Garden

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If you walk by Madison Square Garden today, you'll likely notice a group of people snapping photos of the street sign at the southwest corner of 33rd Street and 7th Avenue. That's because yesterday a temporary honorary street name was added in memoriam of Muhammad Ali (h/t Untapped). The sign that reads "Muhammad Ali Way" is positioned in front of a digital billboard that features another tribute.
See more photos here
MoMA Announces Major Frank Lloyd Wright Retrospective in 2017 to Mark His 150th Birthday
June 8, 2016

MoMA Announces Major Frank Lloyd Wright Retrospective in 2017 to Mark His 150th Birthday

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Today is the 149th anniversary of prolific architect Frank Lloyd Wright's birth, and with next year being the big 150, the Museum of Modern Art has announced a major exhibition in 2017 that will feature roughly 450 works that he created from the 1890s through the 1950s. "Frank Lloyd Wright at 150: Unpacking the Archive" will include architectural drawings, models, building fragments, films, television broadcasts, print media furniture, tableware, textiles, paintings, photographs, and scrapbooks, some of which have rarely or never been exhibited.
Find out more
POLL: Will Solar Canopies Be the New Wave of Solar Power in NYC?
June 8, 2016

POLL: Will Solar Canopies Be the New Wave of Solar Power in NYC?

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Installing solar systems in NYC can be tricky due to strict regulations and the complexity of buildings sites. But yesterday, 6sqft shared Brooklyn Solar Works' and Situ Studio's clever Solar Canopy, which "not only adheres to the city’s strict building codes, but has been developed specifically for the characteristically flat rooftops of NYC." The A-frame structures' columns bolt to rails attached to a building and are oriented at a 33-degree pitch to maximize panel efficiency when pointed south. And since they have a head clearance of ten feet, they don't eat up roof space. They've already been installed atop homes in Brooklyn, but at a price point of around $30,000 (though tax incentives bring that down to about $7,000) and a pretty obvious visual presence, can Solar Canopies replace traditional solar panel systems in the city?
Tell us what you think!
Local Governments Say State Law Gives MTA Too Much Zoning Freedom

Construction at Hudson Yards, where the MTA says it worked with local elected officials

June 8, 2016

Local Governments Say State Law Gives MTA Too Much Zoning Freedom

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New Yorkers know all too well that the debt-ridden MTA is constantly on the hunt for ways to raise funds, most of which, like fare hikes and toll increases, come straight out of our pockets. But the Wall Street Journal brings to light another, less direct way the agency may be looking to boost revenue. Under a provision in the state budget, the MTA would be exempt from local laws and zoning regulations when developing property. For example, a new apartment building on MTA-owned and -leased land "could be exempt from local property taxes and not contribute to the cost of services for the new residents." Local governments are concerned that this stipulation would lead to build-happy developers seeking out MTA property to bypass typical local reviews.
READ MORE
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