The context studio emphasized the development of a personal design process based on hand drawings, supplemented sparingly by computation. Stemming from my site analysis and precedent study and inspired by the art of Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, I developed a concept based on layering and transparency.
Formally I expressed this with two intersecting rectilinear volumes, one oriented to the street grid and another oriented to the Manhattan Bridge. The intersection of the volumes is celebrated by an atrium crossed by stairs and walkways.
As the design developed architecturally it became an industrial object cantilevering out over the East River like the piers that used to line New York City’s waterfront. Along with modular interior volumes reminiscent of shipping containers, these contextual cues reference the area’s history as a center of industry and shipping. An envelope of glass, screens, and structural members reinforces the layering and transparency concept.
OrganizationStudio 2, Professor Theo DavidLocationPratt InstituteDate2010