By: Daniel Stremt
Often times, buildings slowly lose their luster over time and become outdated. Whether it be abandonment, deterioration, or even just a cumbersome design, all buildings eventually need an uplift. This blog details some of the advancements done throughout the country to help remedy this and create public spaces for people to be in.
The first project that I decided to evaluate was the Harlem Hospital Pavilion Facade. It was designed via a collaboration of architects at HOK and Studio JTA. It is located at the Harlem Hospital in Harlem, NYC, and it serves the general populace of Harlem, but mainly those who work or currently preside at the hospital. The goal of the project was to unite the various buildings together, as they were spread out on the blocks they were on. Not only does this make traversing the hospital easier, but it also provides a beautiful place for patients, workers, and visitors to hang out in. The pavilion also contains a large mural that symbolizes African-American history. I chose this project because the overall design intrigued me. The way they built it with the massive mural in full display, while still keeping it sleek and modern, made me interested in it. Also, it helps unite the various buildings in the hospital together, which, being a Hunter student, I resonated with. It mirrored the use of the third floor walkways for me in a way. I think this was a great project, and hopefully it will serve the hospital well for generations to come.
https://collection.cooperhewitt.org/objects/420777941/
Pavilion with mural, as seen from outside. Credit: HOK.com
The second project that I decided to evaluate was the D.C. Neighborhood Libraries. It was designed via a large conglomerate of architecture companies, and is located throughout Washington DC. This project is meant to serve Washington DC as a whole, and its goal is to create a civic hub where people can get together and work on community projects or just organize events in general. It also comes with the obvious bonus of bolstering the city’s library system, as apparently after its implementation circulation of library materials more than tripled, showing that the project is a success. I chose this project because I resonated with it, as the public library near my house it quite tiny, and outside of checking out books there are very few tables where you can meet with people. The building itself is also slowly deteriorating, which is why a project like this gives me hope.
I think this is a type of project that can be implemented in New York City. Although we already do have a public library system, and although there is a ton of material in circulation, the libraries themselves can use some renovating. For example, the one near where I live is tiny and slowly becoming dilapidated. Some other libraries that I have been to in other neighborhoods showed similar signs, either being small and having no tables to meet at, or the building itself is old and the quality of the flooring or the walls has shown its age. Although there are still some good libraries within the city, there are many that could use a modern upgrade like this project. For this reason, it could be a good idea to renovate various libraries in certain communities.
https://collection.cooperhewitt.org/objects/420777907/
Example of one of the new libraries built. Credit: Cooper-Hewitt
The third project that I decided to evaluate is called Open House. The designer behind it is Matthew Mazzotta, and this project was done in York, Alabama. The project is meant to serve the town’s community and strengthen the bonds between its members. What this project does is it transforms one of the abandoned houses into an open air theatre. Doing this creates a place for all the townspeople to met up and hang out at, as well as stage performances. What made me interested in it was the photo that was presented alongside the piece. The photo, as seen below, intrigued me, as the way they built it is very cool, with them folding a “house” outwards and creating a plaza for people to meet at. This project may not be the best fit for New York City, as such a project is more suited towards small towns due to the nature of the structure being worked with. (This can’t exactly be replicated with an abandoned apartment building very well.) However, it is definitely a cool project worthy of notice.
https://collection.cooperhewitt.org/objects/420777965/
House being turned into open air theatre. Credit: Cooper Hewitt
