After much anticipation, the winners of the Van Alen Institute Reimagining Brooklyn Bridge competition have been announced. Thanks to the competition's design jury and a public vote held during the competition's Virtual Design Show, the winning designs are "Brooklyn Bridge Forest" and "Do Look Down."

Within the competition's "Professional" and "Young Adult" categories, the competition brief was to provide proposals that would help redefine the Brooklyn Bridge to become "a new kind of icon." With aims to spark more public discussion about New York's infrastructure, the competition winners and selected finalists each provided a design to emphasize "climate action, social equity, and creative expression."

Deborah Marton, Executive Director of the Van Alen Institute, shared in a statement, "The competition's top proposals demonstrate the Brooklyn Bridge's potential to be a new kind of icon. The winning and finalist designs all contained excellent elements for us to consider as a city."

Read more about the winners check out their project details below.

Professional Category Winner: Brooklyn Bridge Forest
By: Pilot Projects Design Collective, Cities4Forests, Wildlife Conservation Society, Grimshaw, and Silman

Project Description: Brooklyn Bridge Forest reimagines the bridge as an icon of climate action and social equity, improving mobility while respecting the landmark structure. The historic wooden walkway is expanded using planks sustainably sourced from a “partner forest,” a community in Guatemala protecting 200,000-acre rainforest. A new dedicated bike path and reclaimed traffic lanes more than triple the space for active and low-carbon transit. Biodiverse “microforests” at either end of the bridge bring nature to New York City, and serve as green spaces for underserved communities.

Young Adult Category Winner: Do Look Down
By: Shannon Hui, Kwans Kim, and Yujin Kim; Hong Kong, Bay Area, CA, and New York

Project Description: Do Look Down’s installation of a glass surface above the bridge’s girders creates a whimsical new pedestrian space brought to life through art installations and seasonal programming. The lower roadway is converted into additional pedestrian and cyclist space that also offers opportunities for local vendors and performers. Powered by a kinetic paving system that draws energy from footsteps, LED displays and projection systems set up on and around the bridge visually honor the city’s cultures, histories, and identities in a non-invasive and sustainable manner.

To learn more about each project proposal and the competition click here.