December 19, 2007
Governors Island Gets a Makeover
Earlier this year some renderings for a Governors Island redesign were released. Out of the five contending designs, all of which the NY Times architecture critic Nicolai Ouroussof called "unambitious", a winner was finally chosen. Earlier today at the Whitehall Ferry Terminal, Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Spitzer announced the Dutch firm West 8 has been selected to recreate the open space on the island. This was one of the firms that Ouroussof pointed out as having a "thoughtful" design back in June. So what's in store for the 90 acres of parkland?
A two-mile promenade along the water, a park on the southern half and an improved park design within the northern Historic District-- amongst other things. Like a lot of red flowers!
Bloomberg stated today that "New York is re-embracing the waterfront for the first time in more than a century. This park on Governor's Island will be at the center of this new era of waterfront recreation for New York City, and will complement the City's other great parks and recreation spaces." The best part, however, is that West 8 will use recycled materials from demolished buildings, a move that will help keep our landfills a little less full, and in turn help create "a sustainable park for New York.”
When can we expect to romp around the new waterfront park? 2013. Until then, view more of their renderings here.
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That's just fucking great. How is anybody suppose to get over there?
One of the biggest problems of these "architectural" exercises is the idiots that decide whether X, Y or Z is the best solution. They will spin wheels for years and then all of a sudden run out of money and nothing gets done.
I'm not saying those in power are a bunch of ignorant Philistines, but then again Bloomberg and Spitzer both have taste for shit.
Gee, a park.
Don't get me wrong -- it's nice to have a new park (even if people have to take a boat to get there).
But don't you get the feeling that something more could be done with a large island right in the middle of New York Harbor?
Those demolished buildings that they're going to use as construction materials and out of landfills, aren't they currently used as low income housing? Or are all of those buildings at the southern end of the ice cream cone now uninhabited?
The buildings on the southern, non-historic portion, of the island are empty.
Thanks Joe. I'm glad they're getting around to doing something with the rest of the island then. A park sounds like a nice idea. I half expected them to re-install the runway for the use of Gulfstream and Lear jet owners.
Missed oppurtunity. It would be a cool place for a Jurassic Park like attraction, minus the man-eating dinosaurs.
how about a man-eating butterfly? that thing in the last image looks terrifying!
That kid is clearly aware that he's about to be swooped down on and devoured by that monster butterfly.
Anyone who had been over there knows 3 things.
1) Getting there is free - and fast. However the time it's open is insanely limitted.
2) there is an abandoned 9 hole golf course that SHOULD BE FIXED UP and REOPENED.
3) the historic houses should be rented as movie locations AND preserved.
Don't build another useless glass structure......
That butterfly be honing in on the poor dude. Where's his mama?
The rendering has more people walking around on the pathways than Central Park gets on the first warm day of spring. Did they bus those people in just for the concept rendering?
I thought the island would make a great CUNY campus. Extend the 2nd Ave subway into Red Hook with a stop on the island. How's that for an idea?
More uninspired garbage that isn't going to yield anything productive or decent.
Personally, it would be great to leave it as is and allow people to roam the abandoned buildings on the base.
For something more inspiring than a park to take a ferry to get to, check out newglobe.org - the site of the campaign to create a theater from the old army fort. The plan is really interesting - it creates a true Shakespearean open-air theater and education center without changing most of the fort itself.
Here's hoping the rest of the island gets better treatment than the open spaces have!
Did anybody check out the design company's website? They're planning on creating artificial topography. I'm not talking about a couple hills here and there, I'm talking fake mountains and cliffs ala Expedition Everest at Disney World's Animal Kingdom.
It all looks ridiculous and contrived to me. This is what happens when the city gives contracts to these fey European architects *cough* Libeskind *cough*
Did anybody check out the design company's website? They're planning on creating artificial topography. I'm not talking about a couple hills here and there, I'm talking fake mountains and cliffs ala Expedition Everest at Disney World's Animal Kingdom.
It all looks ridiculous and contrived to me. This is what happens when the city gives contracts to these fey European architects *cough* Libeskind *cough*