55 Water Street: New Plaza Designs

[NoyokA]

The elevated public plaza at 55 Water street now.



Renderings of new design:

View of proposed plaza entry from Old Slip, to the north.



View of the redesigned entry from Water Street.



Proposed ice rink.



View of proposed landscaping, looking east.



View of escarpment.

[Fabb]

If only the building could be reclad, too.

[NYatKNIGHT]

Anything will be an improvement, especially with regard to access to the plaza. Now, even when walking by it no one knows it's there.

[Daniel8ty8]

I really like it. Actually, I'd like anything new down there, save for Gehry's Guggenheim. Nevertheless, the project looks pretty interesting, and it would probably be a great addition to the Water Street area.

[NYC kid]

Heh, I like it too. But the building itself is still horrible.

[TLOZ Link5]

Yeah, it'd be nice if they could reclad the building itself, like Fabb said before.

[asg]

Rogers Marvel Architects (2002)


I was walking by here today and noticed that the steps are no longer blocked-off. I took the opportunity to take some photos:


Construction workers look friendly enough; I think I'll go on up for a better view.

[asg]

More pics:

[asg]

And even more pics:

[asg]

Bored yet? No? Good, then here are some more.









Not sure how much longer construction will last on this. Does anyone know if the connection down to Old Slip is still part of the project? I didn't see any provisions for it.

[asg]

NEWS
May 20-26, 2003



Work readies to spruce up Water St. plaza

By Jane Flanagan

Most people walking by don’t know that the long, outdoor escalator at 55 Water St. just south of Wall St., leads to a park with a gorgeous view of the East River. Even if they do know, few are tempted to use it. The park is all but devoid of greenery; it is, instead, a mass of dingy concrete. In addition, all that protects parkgoers – notably small children – from a 50-foot drop to the F.D.R, is a single, thin chord.

All that is about to change.

Work will soon begin to transform the elevated plaza into a lushly landscaped park with a 7,000 square foot, hopefully, grass plaza. It will also include a tower, surrounded by ramps to afford even better views of the river. The tower, known as “the beacon,” will shine light on the park for evening concerts and other events.

“It won’t be the great lawn at Central Park, but for the Financial District it will be pretty nice,” said Ken Smith, the project’s landscape architect.

Benches as well as moveable tables and chairs will also be installed.

Smith said that he hopes people will use it the way they do Bryant Park for eating lunch and enjoying local events like those sponsored by the Tribeca Film Festival.

The architects indicated that it’s not absolutely certain that grass is feasible for the upper-story plaza but said they are making every effort to use it. Ray O’Keefe, chairperson of C.B. 1’s Financial District Committee, where the architects presented the plans last week, said the issue was a key one.

“The material is going to be very important,” said O’Keefe. “If you have a hard surface, not only is it ugly, but skateboarders will use it,” he said.

This park is unusual in that it is two stories above ground level, something of a barrier to attracting passersby. The architects are hoping to attract them by transforming the existing staircase into a series of steps broken up by attractive landscaped plateaus. The escalators will continue to operate and the park will be will be handicap accessible via elevators inside the building.

The park will also cantilever out over the F.D.R. affording both more square footage and some degree of soundproofing. The flimsy railings will also be replaced.

O’Keefe inquired about the success of other raised parks.

“When this one is finished, it will be the first raised park,” laughed Smith.

O’Keefe applauded the design.

“It’s a difficult space,” he said. “From what I’ve seen you have worked very creatively to make it the best it can be. And you are not doing it cheaply. I think that’s laudable,” he said.

Work will begin in a few weeks and will take approximately 15 months to complete. It is scheduled to open in July 2004 and will be closed throughout the construction.

[Jasonik]

Does the glass thing have a function?

*edit*

The beacon thing - got it.

[sfenn1117]

The terraced part of the building is cool and the plaza will be another nice open space downtown to just gaze and awe at whats around you.......but the main building sucks. Most would agree. But for the things I mentioned it's better than its neighbor NY Plaza.

When's construction going to be done?

[lofter1]

Stern: Excellent Covert Action on your part!!

If anyone has a soccer ball I say we meet this weekend for a match.

This is such a great improvement over what used to be up there.

[NoyokA]

Stern: Excellent Covert Action on your part!!

If anyone has a soccer ball I say we meet this weekend for a match.

This is such a great improvement over what used to be up there.

Thanks. I’d be interested in a baseball game, I’m not into soccer.

On a side note this revamped plaza effectively kills a 500,000 sq.ft. addition to 55 Water Street. I wonder if the air rights could be transferred to another nearby site and allow for a slender residential tower, either to the waterfront or the firehouse to the north.