September 25, 2013

Q: What would you design for New York City?

Q



For our New York issue, we asked designers, “In your wildest urban dreams, what would you design for the city?”

“A Formula One track, so I and others could race cars on the streets of Manhattan, with the skyscrapers as grandstands.” — Stephanie Goto

“Developing a residential village inside Central Park, one that’s almost camouflaged amid the landscape. People would appear to emerge from the woods because of how indiscernible their homes would be. All the inhabitants’ needs would be met within the village—markets, restaurants, schools, drug stores—so there’d be no need for cars. Jobs would center around sustaining the village and contributing to the bustling city beyond the park’s gates.” —Jessica Geller and Virginia Toledo of ID 810 Design Group

“Designing insulated pods and placing them throughout the city. These chambers would offer respite from the city sounds: Pop in and take a break from all the honking. —Robin Elmslie Osler of EOA/Elmslie Osler Architects

“We would love to design an engaging urban infrastructure, a new, more forgiving streetscape incorporating seating, bike lanes, bus stops, plantings, and whimsical moments—mimes optional.” —Hayes and James Slade of Slade Architecture

“I would raze Penn Station and Madison Square Garden and build the most amazing transportation center ever imagined: light, airy, grand spaces reminiscent of the old Penn Station, with great restaurants, bars, and shops and easy access to trains.” —Jane Smith of Spacesmith

“A new Shea Stadium to replace Citifield, using Shea’s original space-age design along with pop-art and art-deco elements as my contextual starting-off point.” —Bradley Rim of Andrew Fredman Architect

“What if Manhattan had its own sky tram? It could connect buildings 20 or 30 stories above the ground, allowing people to experience the city in a whole different fashion—from above. Call it a Super High Line.” —Glenn Leitch of Highland Associates

“I’d redesign 23rd Street as a canal that connects the East River to the Hudson, and create a sand bar in front of Shake Shack, a marina adjacent to Eataly, and a deep lagoon in place of Home Depot.” —West Chin of West Chin Architect

“A series of above-ground stations that have some sort of architectural umbrella where you could run for cover when it rains as well as charge a cell phone.” —Kelly Murdock of Murdock Solon Architects

Recent DesignWire