Property Grunt

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Just checking in

The entries are a little light, but I have been busy with some personal stuff. Also I am still in Memorial Day weekend mode.

So enjoy this tasty press release about Governors Island. I will be back in full force in a couple of days.


“The park at the center of the world:

five visions for governors island” presents bold ideas for a new park and promenade at the center of new york harbor



American Institute of Architects New York Chapter and the Governors Island Preservation and Education Corporation announce exhibition featuring five landscape architecture and architecture teams competing to design compelling new open spaces for Governors Island



May 29, 2007. New York , NY. The American Institute of Architects New York Chapter (AIANY) and the Governors Island Preservation & Education Corporation (GIPEC) today announced a new exhibition featuring five visions for Governors Island ’s park and open spaces.



The five teams presenting designs at this exhibition have received critical acclaim for their buildings and landscapes around the world. They were chosen from a field of 29 teams representing 10 countries and 65 firms and they will compete to create a new park on Governors Island . The competing teams are:



Field Operations with Wilkinson/Eyre Architects
Hargreaves Associates/Michael Maltzan Architecture
REX/MDP
West 8/Rogers Marvel/Diller Scofidio+ Renfro/Quennell Rothschild/SMWM
WRT + Urban Strategies


The exhibition will open on May 31st at the AIA New York Chapter’s Center for Architecture in Greenwich Village, and on June 2nd on Governors Island . The designs illustrate concepts for a two mile Great Promenade providing breath-taking views of Lower Manhattan, Brooklyn, and New York Harbor; a new “Summer Park” at the southern end of the Island; and restoration of the mature landscapes of the Historic District.



“We have a unique opportunity to create something special on Governors Island : a destination that preserves the island’s natural beauty and our country’s history; creates a public park that is a magnet for New Yorkers and visitors; and innovatively develops the remaining portions to support the island’s activities without burdening the taxpayer. We hope this landscape design competition will help jump-start those plans.”

“Governors Island can become the center of New York City ’s Harbor District through the creation of world-class open spaces and parks,” said Dan Doctoroff, the Deputy Mayor for Economic Development. “The designs presented at this exhibit provide the vision for achieving this opportunity.”



The competition process explores design approaches and preliminary ideas. Responses to the design brief will form the basis for the selection of the design team.



A jury of distinguished design professionals, government officials and citizens will convene this summer to review the design team’s submissions, and will consider the proposals along with public comments. The jury members are:



Carol Ash, Commissioner, New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

Adrian Benepe, Commissioner, New York City Department of Parks and Recreation

Karen Brooks Hopkins, President, Brooklyn Academy of Music

Leslie Koch, President, Governors Island Preservation and Education Corporation

Reed Kroloff, Director-Designate, Cranbrook Academy of Art and Art Museum

Lauie Olin, Principal, Olin Partnership

Gregg Pasquarelli, Founder and Principal, SHoP Architects PC

Joseph Rose, Partner, the Georgetown Company



The Jury will recommend a winning team or teams, rather than a winning or final design. GIPEC will work with the selected team(s) to develop promising concepts for park and open space, with a process of extensive public input.



“We are excited about creating a 21st century park and open spaces on Governors Island to serve all our visitors, and this exhibition illustrates what those areas can be,” said Leslie Koch, President of the Governors Island Preservation & Education Corporation. “We hope that all New Yorkers will come to the exhibition and provide feedback about the designs and the competition.”



“The AIA New York Chapter is delighted to welcome design professionals and the public to the Governors Island exhibition at the Center for Architecture,” said Rick Bell, FAIA Executive Director of the AIA New York Chapter. “The five designs represent grand visions for making this wonderful and wild island a living part of New York City ’s landscape.”



"We hope that this is only the beginning of a process of revitalization for what can be a wonderful resource to the public,” said Joan Blumenfeld, FAIA, IIDA President of the AIA New York Chapter. “The creation of a unique waterfront park can mark the beginning of the development process for a Governor's Island that will be a destination both for tourists and for native New Yorkers."



Public input on the team’s designs will be critical to the competition and can be given in a variety of ways. Public comments will be received as follows:



At the two locations that the designs are exhibited – at the Center for Architecture in Manhattan , and on Governors Island
Through Governors Island ’s website, www.govisland.com
GIPEC will hold a public forum at 6:30 PM on June 20th at Reeves Great Hall at FIT ( 28th Street and 7th Avenue ) where the design teams will present their concepts and receive feedback from the public


The AIA will also host several programs and events at the Center for Architecture to celebrate the exhibition. These include:



· Monday, June 11th, 6 PM – 8 PM : Panel discussion with the AIA, American Society of Landscape Architects New York Chapter, Governors Island Alliance, and GIPEC. Sponsored by the American Society of Landscape Architects.

· Saturday, August 11th, 9:45 AM - 11:45 AM : FamilyDay @ theCenter, Governors Island Walking Tour and Scavenger Hunt



Additionally, the Van Alen Institute will hold an Open House and Conversation on the competition:



Wednesday, June 13th, 6 PM – 8 PM : “Designing Governors Island ,” The Van Alen Institute, 30 West 22nd Street , 6th Floor. As the future of Governors Island takes shape this spring and five internationally-renowned design teams present schemes for the site’s redesign, Van Alen Institute joins GIPEC and its partner organizations in celebrating the recent history of Governors Island, its relationship to the New York Harbor, and the role of design competitions in defining and developing public sites in New York City.


“The Park at the Center of the World: Five Visions for Governors Island” will be on view through August 25th at the Center for Architecture and through September 2nd on Governors Island .



Governors Island is open for visitors every Saturday and Sunday from June 2nd – September 2nd. For a ferry schedule and more information on events, visit www.govisland.com.



More information on the five teams is below:



Field Operations/Wilkinson Eyre

Great Eastern Ecology

Piet Oudolf

Luz Landschaftsarchitekten Munchen

McLaren Engineering Group

Tillotson Design Associates

WET Design

Cultural Resource Consultant Group

Project Projects



Hargreaves Associates/Michael Maltzan Architecture

L’Observatoire International

Buro Happold

Mueser Rutledge Consulting Engineers

Atelier Ten

Sam Schwartz PLLC

Langan Engineering and Environmental Sciences

Pentagram

Sustainable Science

Gail Wittwer-Laird

Dan Euser Water Architecture

Cultural Resource Consultant Group

V. J. Associates Inc.

Aggleton + Associates

Milrose Consultants

Northern Designs

Maps, Inc.



REX/MDP

Archipelago

The Rose + Guggenheimer Studio

Arup

Transsolar

Atelier Ten

Dorsserblesgraaf ( DHV BV )

Dewberry-Goodkind, Inc.

Lord Cultural Resources

Environmental Design

Tillotson Design Associates

Sagmeister Inc.

AccuCost

Mercator Land Surveying, LLC

Fleming Lee Shue

Sam Schwartz Engineering

Northern Designs LLC

McLaren Engineering Group



West 8/Rogers Marvel Architects/Diller Scofidio + Renfro/Quennell Rothschild & Partners/SMWM

Arup

HPA Engineers, P.C.

Collado Engineering

Yu & Associates

B. Thayer Associates

Jane Chermayeff Associates

Pentagram

Craig Whitaker Architects

Leni Schwendinger Light Projects LTD

Design 2147, Ltd.

Ducibella Venter & Santore

Faithful + Gould

Jan Hird Pokorny Associates

Construction Specifications



WRT + Urban Strategies

Ocean and Coastal Consultants

Biohabitats

Langan Engineering and Environmental Services

Tillett Lighting Design Inc.

Weidlinger Associates Inc.

Pentagram

Cultural Resource Consulting Group

Battle McCarthy Consulting Engineers

Jaros Baum & Bolles

Shen, Milsom & Wilke, Inc.

WET Design

Karen Bacon Events, Inc.

V. J. Associates Inc.

Creative Time

Mercator





About the AIA New York Chapter

The New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, founded in New York City in 1857, is dedicated to three goals: public outreach--engaging and interacting with the public about architecture and the built environment; professional development--helping architects to be the best at what they do; and design excellence--improving the quality of design and advocating environmental conservation and sustainability. The AIA’s Center for Architecture

The Center for Architecture is New York City ’s storefront resource center for exhibitions, discussion and professional exchange on architecture and design. The Center is also home to the New York Chapter of Architecture for Humanity (AfH), the New York Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), Illuminating Engineering Society New York Section (ESNY), and the Structural Engineers Association of New York (SEAoNY). Located at 536 LaGuardia Place , the Center is open 9 am to 8 pm , Monday – Friday, and 11 am to 5 pm on Saturdays. Admission is free. For information contact the AIA New York Chapter at 212-683-0023 or info@aiany.org. (www.aiany.org)



About Governors Island Preservation and Education Corporation ( GIPEC )

The Governors Island Preservation and Education Corporation is responsible for the planning, redevelopment and ongoing operations for 150 acres of Governors Island . The National Park Service administers the additional 22 acres of the island designated in 2003 as the Governors Island National Monument . A subsidiary of the Empire State Development Corporation, GIPEC is overseen by a Board of Directors appointed equally by the Governor and Mayor of New York . GIPEC is working closely with the National Park Service and a wide array of constituent groups, including business, community and civic groups, to foster new ideas for development of Governors Island and to enhance the island’s role as a vital and integral part of New York City and the surrounding region. GIPEC seeks to make Governors Island a destination with great public open space and heritage tourism attractions, as well as education, conference and cultural arts facilities. For more information please visit www.govisland.com or call 212.440.2202.