BPR - Best Pedestrian Route

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BPR - Best Pedestrian Route

Firm

SIZE

0 sqft - 1000 sqft

BUDGET

$10K - 50K

Best Pedestrian Route (BPR) was one of three projects selected as part of the RE:Construction Pilot Program sponsored by the Alliance for Downtown New York (ADNY) and curated by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC). Working with the ADNY and the LMCC, and with the support of the Metropolitan Transit Authority and the Department of Transportation, wesited Best Pedestrian Route along the north side of John Street between Broadway and Nassau Streets, installed against the south side of the MTA-owned historic Corbin Building. Situated along the southern boundary of a future entry into the new Fulton Street Transit Hub, this route was designed to guide pedestrians across a changing streetscape, immersing them for a few moments in an environment that transforms the familiar symbols of construction into dreamy recollections of summer. Graphicarrow symbols are multiplied and rotated across the length of the iconic orange and white interior cladding, arranged in a flow pattern that transforms the familiar directional symbol into abstract ‘leaves’, guiding visitors through a dynamic interplay of light and shadow. Through these ‘leaves’ passersby can read information about the project, construction plans for the area, and cultural events occurring in Lower Manhattan. The tiltedand swooping form of Best Pedestrian Route is possible using digital fabrication technologies to precisely cut all of the components off-site on a computer-numerically-controlled (CNC) mill. The pre-fabricated component parts make the assembly of this temporary structure possible in the course of several hours, not unlike the construction barriers that shift daily. BestPedestrian Route is conceived as a system of walkways, this being the first of several variations to be located throughout Lower Manhattan, allowing visitors to shift their attention from the disruption of construction to a projected future of downtown.The process of construction is a liminal activity. This can be understood
within the physical space and time between construction zone and
building, the interface between digital techniques of fabrication and
interpretation via contracting practices, or simply between the graphic
symbol and diagrammatic pattern. Best Pedestrian Route occupies and
resonates within this threshold through multiple scales and meanings - a
slanted and skewed temporary walkway whose cantilevered form is not
only expressive of the volatility within which it is sited, but is also,
by design, able to systematically respond to the inherent instability
posed by ongoing construction in Lower Manhattan.Best Pedestrian Route received a Merit Award for Built Projects from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) New York Chapter in 2008, and was a featured project in the New York Designs: Threshold series sponsored by the Architectural League of New York in 2008.