Archinect - News

Field Operations completes North Park transformation at Freshkills Park, once world's largest landfill

2023-10-17T17:24:00-04:00

Field Operations has shared photos of their completed work on the first phase of North Park at the Freshkills Park redevelopment project for the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation.

Over the course of 30 years, what was once the world’s largest landfill will become an interconnected series of parks and open spaces spread across 750 acres on the west side of Staten Island, beginning with the newly inaugurated 21-acre segment. A pathway carved into a gently curving earthwork arc guides visitors from a new entry approach around the base of the northernmost landfill mounds, culminating in an overlook that offers views of the Main Creek wetlands and William T. Davis Wildlife Refuge. Costs for the project have been reported at $21 million.

Image: NYC Parks/Malcolm Pinckney

Visitors entering from Wild Avenue will encounter an arrangement of flowering ground swales leading northeast to a sumac-lined plateau and picnic lawn. There, a bird tower set against the water’s edge dominate...

Archtober 2023: NYC's Building of the Day series is back with architect-led tours

2023-09-26T18:58:00-04:00

Archtober, New York City's annual month-long festival of Architecture and Design, is about to commence once again, featuring a packed calendar of exciting events and activities across the five boroughs.

Organized by the Center for Architecture in collaboration with a host of partners, Archtober is returning its popular Building of the Day initiative, which offers unique opportunities to explore nearly 30 outstanding buildings and sites through tours led by architects and other design professionals.

Check out the list of this year's sites below and use the Archtober Map to New York as your handy mobile guide.

Monday, Oct 2: Powerhouse Arts. Photo: PBDW Architects.

Monday, Oct 2: Powerhouse Arts
Architect: Herzog & de Meuron; PBDW Architects

Tuesday, Oct 3: High Line - Moynihan Connector
Design: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM); Field Operations

Tuesday, Oct 3: High Line - Moynihan Connector. Photo: Lucas Blair Simpson © SOM.

Wednesday, Oct, 4: One South First
Architect: COOKFOX

Thursday,...

New Jersey sues to block NYC congestion pricing plan

2023-07-25T11:35:00-04:00

New Jersey took a significant step Friday as it seeks to block New York’s congestion pricing plan with a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). Gov. Phil Murphy, standing behind a podium that read “FIGHTING AN UNFAIR CONGESTION TAX,” said at a morning press conference that he hopes the lawsuit triggers an environmental impact statement delaying the program.

New York City's new congestion pricing plan was finally approved on a federal level last month following years of debate that began under then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy told CBS’ Face the Nation on Sunday that he wants to prevent pollution from the anticipated backlog of commuters, who are also out of alternatives still years ahead of the $11 billion Gateway Tunnel’s expected completion. The MTA is contesting his ability to challenge the congestion pricing plan in the first place.

Previously on Archinect: New York City's congestion pricing program receives federal approval

The friction between the city and its outlying communities, amplified by the pandemic, has taken a role in the discussions over office downturn, public transit, crime, and other issues. Several reports this week indicated Staten Island will also join New Jersey in suing the Department of Transportation. The MTA's capital projects and depleted ridership are the primary beneficiary of t...

Archtober 2022: Explore NYC's Buildings of the Day with architect-led tours

2022-10-04T14:11:00-04:00

It's that time of the year again: Archtober, New York City's Architecture and Design Month, is back. Now in its 12th year, the annual festival has returned with another packed calendar featuring lectures, tours, workshops, screenings, and other exciting live special events across the five boroughs.

Organized by the Center for Architecture in collaboration with numerous partners, Archtober is once again presenting its popular Building of the Day series, inviting New Yorkers and visitors to explore significant buildings and sites through tours led by architects and other design professionals.

Take a look at the full list of featured sites below and use the Archtober Guide to NYC as your handy mobile guide.

Saturday, Oct 1: New York Public Library Van Cortlandt Branch. Photo: Michael Moran.

Saturday, Oct 1: New York Public Library Van Cortlandt Branch
Architect: Andrew Berman Architect

Monday, Oct 3: Battery Maritime Building
Architect: Marvel

Monday, Oct 3: Battery Maritime Building. Pho...

Archtober 2021: Don't miss this year's Buildings of the Day

2021-10-01T17:36:00-04:00

Archtober, New York City's month-long festival of architecture and design, has officially returned with a packed calendar of hybrid virtual and in-person events from October 1st through 31st.

Organized by the Center for Architecture in collaboration with numerous partners across the city, Archtober is once again presenting its popular Building of the Day series, inviting New Yorkers and visitors to explore significant buildings and sites through architect-led tours.

Take a look at the full list of featured sites below and use the Archtober Guide to NYC as your handy mobile guide.

Friday, Oct 1: Little Island
Architects: Heatherwick Studio and Standard Architects
Landscape Architect: MNLA

Saturday, Oct 2: Shirley Chisholm State Park
Landscape Architect: Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates

Monday, Oct 4: Tammany Hall. Photo: Francis Dzikowski.

Sunday, Oct 3: Summit One Vanderbilt
Interior Architect/Architect of Record/Landscape Architect: Snøhetta
Building Base Architect: KPF

Monday, Oct 4:...

Archtober 2020: find all Buildings of the Day in one handy list

2020-09-30T13:28:00-04:00

As September is wrapping up, we look forward to Archtober 2020 kicking off tomorrow. Celebrating its 10-year anniversary, the month-long celebration of architecture and design is presented as a hybrid virtual and in-person festival this year — allowing visitors to join events and activities online from a safe distance, or even from outside of New York City.

Returning once again is Archtober's popular Building of the Day series, pandemic-adjusted for 2020 and held in an accessible, virtual format. Tours or presentations will be held Mondays through Fridays at midday and, for the first time, also include architecturally significant sites outside of the New York area as part of Archtober's new Travel To series.

Take a look at the full Building of the Day list below.

Monday, Oct. 5: Greenpoint, Van Cortlandt, and East Elmhurst Libraries
East Elmhurst Branch Library: Garrison Architects
Van Cortlandt Branch Library: Andrew Berman Architect
Greenpoint Library: Marble Fairbanks

Tuesday, Oct....

Check out Archtober 2019's Buildings of the Day (and our handy map to find them all)

2019-09-26T15:21:00-04:00

Archtober 2019, New York City's month-long festival of architecture & design, is only days away now.

As in previous years, the festival calendar also features exclusive tours and events again at nearly 30 Buildings of the Day in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island. Registering early is recommended — many events sell out fast.

Take a look at the full Building of the Day list below and use Archinect's handy interactive map to easily locate each building. The map also allows to rediscover 2018's buildings, in case you missed some of them last year.

Oct 2: Brooklyn Children’s Museum. Photo: Chuck Choi/Rafael Vifioly Architects.

Oct 1: Hispanic Society Museum & Library
Original architect: Charles Pratt Huntington (1906)
Renovation Architects: Selldorf Architects + Beyer Blinder Belle (ongoing)

Oct 2: Brooklyn Children’s Museum
Original architect: Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer Associates (1977)
Renovation architect: Rafael Viñoly Architects (2008)
Rooftop canopy: Toshiko Mori (2...

Staten Island outlet mall is a mysterious black hole for public funds

2019-08-28T15:00:00-04:00

The Cuomo administration is tapping two discretionary funds to steer nearly $47 million to an outlet mall on Staten Island, a multi-pronged subsidy that increased after the developers contributed $85,000 to the governor's campaign. The Empire State Development corporation last month approved $21.9 million in subsidies for Empire Outlets [...] That's on top of a $25 million grant awarded last April by the state's Dormitory Authority.

The recently-opened mall, designed by SHoP Architects, is part of a larger collection of waterfront revitalization and densification projects taking shape on Staten Island.

Doomed New York Wheel could still be happening after all

2019-05-31T13:58:00-04:00

The developers of the New York Wheel killed plans to build a 630-foot observation wheel on Staten Island in October, amid skyrocketing costs and lengthy delays in getting the project completed. But, NY1 learned Tuesday that plans are in the works to bring the project back to life.

Archinect has been covering the tumultuous history of what was once promoted as "the tallest observation wheel in the Western Hemisphere" with spectacular views from Staten Island's North Shore.

View this post on Instagram At 630 ft and the tallest in the Western Hemisphere, here's how we stack up against all the rest #onebigwheel #statenisland #NYC #lasvegas #singapore #london #china
A post shared by New York Wheel (@nywheel) on May 17, 2016 at 12:46pm PDT

This 2016 Instagram post proudly announces the original target size. The new, revived wheel could be considerably smaller.

As NY1 reports now, the proposed revival of the less-than fortunate wheel "would be closer to the size of the 443-foot London Eye than the 630-foot wheel initially envisioned, but it could use the foundation that's already been built."

New York Wheel canceled. Now what?

2018-11-08T15:50:00-05:00

The New York Wheel was heralded as Staten Island’s boldest project [...] And then on October 23, after over five years in the pipeline and $400 million in private investment, the New York Wheel was pronounced dead. The results of the developers’ divisive, much-litigated efforts are a concrete plinth and completed parking garage.

Curbed New York's Zoe Rosenberg examines what the future may hold for Staten Island’s ambitious North Shore revitalization after the developers last month pulled the plug on the 630-foot main attraction, the New York Wheel.

Image: S9 Architecture / Perkins Eastman

New York Wheel faces enormous challenges to become viable

2017-11-01T13:27:00-04:00

Work has ground to a halt at the New York Wheel, a massive attraction that developers say will help turn the St. George Ferry Terminal into a bustling tourist destination. The latest projections put the wheel’s price tag at $590 million, more than twice initial estimates. The developers concede there have been setbacks, but they say they are still on firm financial footing and expect the project to succeed.

Building an audience from scratch for a new, expensive attraction on Staten Island's North Shore where visitors are also willing to spend $35 per ride to recover the half-billion-plus-dollar investment will be a steep challenge, Crain's reports: "To break even, the wheel likely needs to attract closer to 3 million visitors annually at $35 per head, judging from the developers' previous comments and information from Hunden Stratetgic Partners."

New York's iconic yellow cabs are slowly disappearing from city streets — and Uber is cashing in

2017-10-13T15:12:00-04:00

What seemed inevitable for quite some time now, has finally come to pass; Uber has overtaken yellow cabs in average daily ridership figures, the New York Times reports. This past July, Uber witnessed an average of 289,000 rides per day, whereas yellow cabs only managed 277,000.

More than half of Uber's rides start outside of Manhattan. Yellow and green cabs are not as accessible in Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island and users prefer Uber and other ride-share apps. The company capitalized on this market by offering borough-specific promotions and moved its support and recruitment center outside of Manhattan.

Opening of New York Wheel now delayed until 2018

2016-08-22T14:30:00-04:00

The first spin around the giant New York Wheel has been pushed back by a year. The 630-foot Ferris wheel coming to the Staten Island waterfront was scheduled to open in late 2017. But its developers announced that has been delayed until April 2018 to give more time to test the structure's safety. [...] Construction of the $580 million project is still expected to finish next year.

The New York Wheel previously on Archinect:

Tallest observation wheel in the Western Hemisphere expected to break ground in Staten Island soon

2015-04-16T14:56:00-04:00

New York City this week will officially break ground on a spot near the Staten Island Ferry terminal where the world’s tallest observation wheel will rise — unless Dubai builds a bigger one first. The Dubai Eye started erecting its 690-foot wheel a week ago. [...] The 630-foot New York Wheel seeks to dethrone the 550-foot High Roller in Las Vegas as the tallest in the world.

Previously: Mayor Bloomberg Unveils Plans To Build World's Tallest Ferris Wheel

They've been waiting patiently

2015-03-14T15:11:00-04:00

"Do you have any skills?...You don't need to have any skills to come volunteer...this is still a story".

Jordan Klepper investigates a story of reconstruction in Staten Island. Two and a half years post-Sandy, four locals offer criticism of the NYC Build it Back program. He then chats with Enrique Norten about Mercedes House, a recent TEN Arquitectos project (totaling 1.2 million square feet) in Manhattan, completed in approximately three years. The role of dreaded "bureaucracy" is then referenced and Alana Tornello (a Disaster Recovery Coordinator) urges folks to volunteer and not forget.

For an alternative view of the topic; check out Weathering the Storm: Rebuilding a More Resilient New York City Housing Authority Post-Sandy released by The Alliance for a Just Rebuilding.

Facing the realities of climate change: Staten Island's complicated strategy of Managed Retreat

2015-02-13T15:07:00-05:00

Living at land’s edge has always come with a certain amount of risk: storms coming off the ocean can be violent and proximity to water always carries with it a possibility of getting wet. [...] in three communities on Staten Island, a New York State program to encourage managed retreat through homeowner buyouts has elicited strong interest and vocal support.

Reading Room: A Catalog of New York City’s Branch Libraries

2014-11-21T15:07:00-05:00

Between 2008 and 2013, I photographed the branch libraries of New York City’s three public library systems: 212 branches in all[1], spread across the five boroughs. Through arrangements with each of the library systems, I worked mornings before the branches opened to the public. I traveled by subway and bus and made six to twelve pictures of each branch, interiors and exteriors, using a 4×5 inch view camera. My archive, to date, holds over 2,000 negatives.

A Scheme on a Bluff: The View from Todt Hill Houses

2014-05-09T13:22:00-04:00

In the third article in our Typecast series, writer Brad Fox travels to Todt Hill Houses on Staten Island. Safe, suburban, and well-maintained, Todt Hill defies many of the stereotypes of New York City housing projects. Unlike the Lower East Side’s Smith Houses, which were constructed in the place of demolished tenements, Todt Hill predates most of the single-family homes in its surrounding neighborhood.

Mayor Bloomberg Unveils Plans To Build World's Tallest Ferris Wheel

2012-09-27T19:55:00-04:00

Mayor Bloomberg today will unveil plans to transform Staten Island’s waterfront by building the world’s largest Ferris wheel along with a new retail complex and hotel on sites adjacent to Richmond County Bank Ballpark in St. George. The New York Wheel will be built just to the north of the ballpark and be 625 feet tall – 84 feet higher than the Singapore Flyer, currently the tallest Ferris wheel in the world.