Some day soon, every day will be “Dollar Oyster Day,” thanks in part to architects.
You never would think that oysters would become a demographic that designers came to rescue, but it is happening through a number of upcycling these days, both designed as temporary pavilions and through other initiatives. Oyster reefs once dominated the harbor — the so-called “sixth borough” — filtering the water, providing a habitat for thousands of marine species, and serving as natural protection from waves like those that Hurricane Sandy unleashed upon us. Unfortunately, industrialization polluted the water, destroying most of that ecosystem by the late 20th Century. In 2015, the water is just starting to be clean enough to bring back the oysters.
Most recently, the Billion Oysters Pavilion by BanG studio — to be built this summer for FIGMENT / ENYA / SEAoNY’s City of Dreams on Governor’s Island — has shown us that reusable elements for oysters can look good on land without sacrificing future impact underwater. Part of the New York Harbor School’s Billion Oyster Project, the woven canopy — made of steel rebar, nylon rope, and hose clamps — are reused as “oyster condos.” The base of the pavilion consists of custom-cast “Reef Balls” that can be tossed in the water for oyster homes. The pavilion not only becomes architecture for oysters, but it will also bring awareness through education and visibility.
This effort parallels the proposal by New York-based Young & Ayata for the MoMA/PS1 Young Architects Program – Istanbul Modern 2015. Their project, “Bosphorus Grove,” is made from quotidian materials — concrete cast in steel pipe, steel rebar structure, fiber braided garden hose, and zip-tie attachments — that are cheap and easy to assemble. The resulting grove forms a canopied garden of sorts, made from materials that are not typically associated with eco-solutions; the YAP brief inspired the Young & Ayata to transform them by giving them an unexpected second life as a home for oysters. Each element sheds it current function for life underwater. The tree-like forms are cut and flipped over and anchored to the sea floor by the concrete bases. The hoses become attractors for algae and the encrustation of aquatic life.
Of course, these practices are rooted in oyster ecology and marine restoration science. When New York City’s subway cars become too decrepit to run (please hold the jokes) they are given new life in the sea. Photographer Stephen Mallon‘s series “Next Stop Atlantic” depicts the spectacle of this process, but their true purpose remains unseen beneath the surface. Those retired R32s rest nicely on the ocean floor like sunken ships, making artificial reefs that are healthy habitats for marine life, including oysters, blue mussels, and other creatures.
© stephen mallon
The subway cars make a nice PR story, but it is the longer-term urban design projects that may be the best bet for bringing back the tasty and beneficial shellfish. Newly appointed Director of the Urban Design Program at Columbia University’s GSAPP Kate Orff and her practice SCAPE have developed what they call “Oyster-tecture” in their Living Breakwaters project off of the south shore of Staten Island. Originally proposed during the Rising Currents exhibition at MoMA in 2010, the project won $60 million in funding through Rebuild by Design. This ambitious interdisciplinary initiative launched with research — on the different typologies of shallow water — to inform various design solutions to create a series of mitigating zones as opposed to a single levee or sea wall.
These habitat features not only serve to dissipate waves, but they also help marine ecosystems as a kind of natural infrastructure; wetlands and reefs being a perfect habitat for oysters. Using computer models, they have visualized how complex forms, materials, and textures will best reduce storm surges in the area, while making a place for marine wildlife. Collectively, these techniques will drive the resurgence of New York Harbor’s oyster population — and, in turn, its ecological benefits.
