We often think of the street grid as New York’s greatest “master plan.” Officially known as the Commissioners’ Plan of 1811, this put in place the original, gridded street pattern that we still know today. But there have been several other master plans that took shape on a smaller scale within the linear configuration of Manhattan. These planned communities were largely conceived to transform blighted or underutilized areas into suburban enclaves or peaceful oases within the big city. And just like the neighborhoods that grew organically among the street grid, these master-planned areas each have a unique character. They’ve also influenced a new crop of developments, currently under construction on the West Side and in Brooklyn.
SHoP Architects
Features, Major Developments, New Developments, Staten Island
You won’t find any Staten Island jokes or snarky references to secession here. No, we’re celebrating the borough that so easily gets forgotten amid the shiny new towers of Manhattan and trendy culture waves of Brooklyn. But just because it might not make daily headlines, doesn’t mean that Staten Island isn’t in the middle of some pretty amazing developments. From the Staten Island Ferris Wheel to the borough becoming the next great tech hub, we’ve rounded up the cultural, economic, and architectural projects that are going to make you want to board the Staten Island Ferry in pursuit of your new home.
Architecture, Landscape Architecture, New Developments, Prospect Heights, Rentals
Forest City Ratner Companies and Greenland USA, a subsidiary of Shanghai-based Greenland Group, announced today that their new joint venture, Greenland Forest City Partners, has selected COOKFOX Architects to design two residential buildings at their Pacific Park Brooklyn project. They’ve also chosen Thomas Balsley Associates to design the site’s eight-acre public park, which will be called Pacific Park.
Formerly known as Atlantic Yards, Pacific Park Brooklyn will be a 22-acre site anchored by the Barclays Center and containing 8 million square feet of mixed-use development. The public park will be revealed in phases, with permanent and temporary installations. COOKFOX has begun the design for its two residential buildings– 550 Vanderbilt Avenue, set to feature 275 condominiums, and 535 Carlton Avenue, which will have approximately 300 affordable rentals. Construction is expected to begin on the latter this December, with 550 Vanderbilt not far behind. A third residential building will be designed by SHoP Architects, who were the minds behind the Barclays Center, at 30 Sixth Avenue with another 300 affordable rentals.
Major Developments, Urban Design
The transformation of the Domino Sugar Refinery is moving full steam ahead with Two Trees Development filing their first permits for their 36-story SHoP-designed tower at 320 Kent Avenue. The 401-foot glass tower will be one of the tallest of the mega development, sited alongside the Williamsburg Bridge.
Architecture, New Developments
Construction on the SHoP Architects-designed tower at 111 West 57th Street has finally begun! Yesterday evening, one of 6sqft’s reporters walked past the site and took a quick snap of the newly arrived construction vehicles and equipment.
The Manhattan giant, which will also be the world’s slenderest tower, will rise 1,300-feet high, above a floor plate of around 60-feet wide. The building will host three elevators and each floor will be its own 5,000-square-foot apartment with 15-foot ceilings. And for those worried how wind load will affect the 76-story structure, a huge steel weight will be suspended within the top of the building to keep it from swaying (yikes).
Brooklyn, Major Developments, Williamsburg
Two Trees Management’s sweet deal with the city for the former Dominos Sugar factory site could cause a toothache for the City Council and local residents. The historic complex, with its charming yellow sign, has been part of Brooklyn’s landscape since 1882, when it opened as the largest sugary refinery in the world. Now plans for the 2.2 million-square-foot multi-use project, designed by SHoP Architects, are causing concern that it could house more people than the Brooklyn neighborhood can handle.
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