The For the City/By the City competition prompted designers to choose any one of over 500 ideas and seek a way to challenge and transform the future of New York and the urban environment.  Here, the proposal looks at how to address a vacant lot in the East Village of Manhattan and how to transform it into a space for art and performance.  The proposal looks to explore the cultural relationship between subways, art, and performance.  The L train runs beneath 14th Street, the Northern most street, and is served by a typical subway entry. The site becomes one large descent ramp into the subway, incorporating performing space, art space, and natural landscape.  The vacant lot now stands as the East Village’s icon and artery to the rest of the city.  The lot challenges what is typically seen as inconvenient or systematic and allows them to co-exist and become experiential.  The subway is no longer seen as simply a means of transportation, but as an extension of the cities’ diverse cultures and varied lifestyles.

CREDITS:

Competition: For the City/By the City

Design Team: Tyler Cukar, Chase Pitner