Challenging conventional notions of figure and ground as a dual
condition, our mixed-use urban environment aspires to provide a live-work and
recreational space for its residents and the public within a gradient of social
interaction and spatial organization.
Activating space within the building through the filtration of natural
light and visual connection, the design introduces a shifting hybrid of
structure and material to one traversing the space. Our proposal reconciles a spatial transformation from the
intricate, steel façade along the West Side Highway to a monolithic, monocoque
pod network adjacent to the Highline, a formal gesture responding to the wild,
organic growth which springs from the elevated gardens.