This year the graduation studio of Complex Projects takes place in New York City.
The focus of the studio is Midtown Manhattan. Manhattan is defined by its radical rectangular grid composed of streets and avenues. This condition assured the cities growth to what it is now and created a framework that resulted in the hyper densified and unique urban fabric. However, nowadays Midtown opposes new challenges: many buildings have reached or overreach their lifespan, new mega developments occur which challenge the grid, slow traffic makes the area very congested and last but not least the city is in danger to be flooded. In the studio Midtown is split into four areas. The focus area of Midtown we analysed is the lower eastern part, named Empire Village.
The design will act upon areas in cities where institutions be a dominant part in the city. Investigating on, how to deal with a city’s border condition caused by massive single uses and improve the underused area? With being more specific:
How to make the 26th, 27th and 28th street more permeable to soften the border condition between the village and the waterfront?
This will be tested with a 25 000 squared meters campus, to favour the programme of a public building, including a research institute, university campus and housing to encounter therefore the hospital employees, students and residents to meet and exchange in order to change the Kips Bay Court into a humane, safe and diverse area.