GATEWAY TO CHINATOWN

JOINERY is an innovative interactive public art piece, community greenspace, and architectural structure. It has been designed to be a space for the intersection of cultural integration, social interaction, and public initiatives. Preserving and cherishing an important urban space of identity and memory, while forging connections between traditions, contemporary art, and the fabric of Chinatown and its surroundings. The design aims to provide local communities and visitors alike a respite from the busy intersection, recharge both their mental state and digital devices (with innovative charging stations integrated underneath the seating benches), and reflect within the greenspace of the gingko trees, where buffered and sound-absorbed interactive panels surround the elevated bleachers and benches.

Both interactive digital media and touch screen LED panels on the larger bleacher set-up would allow individuals to access interactive wayfinding maps of lower Manhattan, while enabling them to connect to the NYC DOT and MTA digital systems, to further guide them through the city, using iBeacon technologies. Passive wayfinding signage are also engraved onto the seating and flooring of the structure, pointing to the landmarks that surround Lower Manhattan, and key points of interests within New York City.

The tranquil space also provides individuals the opportunity to enjoy the public art, curated by both crowd-sourced opportunities, and through promotion through external cultural partnerships with the various Lower Manhattan alliances in the arts. This provides the opportunity to connect and bring together existing communities and create new opportunities for both locals and visitors to experience the area in fresh ways.

The tip of the joint structure is elevated on a ramp system to allow individuals to access a higher viewpoint of the Canal and Baxter Street corner. This allows visitors to view the horizon of Manhattan Bridge, but more importantly, to look down on the extension of the triangle onto the specially dedicated public seating area that promotes a new public arts initiative connected with the local community. Our proposal suggests a 6-month rotational design highlighting emerging artists from Lower Manhattan to install onto the painted triangle in front of the site.

Meanwhile, the interactive LED panels that are attached to each strip of the natural pine glulam (glue laminated) wood members, would showcase fascinating highlights of emerging video created content and projects, by local artists, and/or features special events from the community in the area. The LED screens could also provide a revenue stream for supporting local businesses through ad-sales and delivery, in this very busy intersection.

Working as an embedded innovative technological hub, the newly designed and branded digital media details of the iBeacon and wayfinding systems, that are integrated within the benches and greater design of the structure, will act as a liaison that connects to the NYC MTA and DOT stations. This will be an added opportunity for the gateway site to link to other gateways within Chinatown, across the city, and around the world. The iBeacon technology would be accessible across the six additional sites, and easily noted through the new proposed branding — allowing locals and visitors alike to grab their bearings, find their coordinates, and also share instagrammable moments with their friends and families around the world.

Social Interaction / Arts initiative

Working with the various cultural institutions within the Lower Manhattan Community Council and International Arts Alliances, NYC Parks Commission, and the NYC DOT, our proposal is to promote innovative and interactive experiences for locals and visitors to Chinatown and Lower Manhattan, to experience JOINERY as a gateway to various understandings of the historic, traditions, ever-changing cultural and generational demographics and aspects of the area.

Linking with the NYC Parks Commission, and the outdoor street seats initiative, our proposal will also put into motion a collaboration of outdoor seating, integrated with localized markets and interactive digital media shows during the day and night.

Through curated arts initiatives, our proposal will promote local Lower Manhattan artists to contribute to either or both the structure of the pavilion through digital activations on the digital media integrated screens, and physically painting on the adjacent island through street art and graffiti.

Potential Cultural Partners
Museum of Chinese in America
New Museum of Contemporary Art
Asia Foundation
Mott Street Senior Center
Lower Manhattan Cultural Council
Lower Manhattan’s art academy

tup Fictional Business of the Year this Year.

ClientCity of New YorkLocationNew York City, USAYear2017