Fall 2021 Project Roundup: Openings, Awards, and On the Boards

NEWLY OPENED

After years of planning, Bronx Children’s Museum dedicates new space in Mill Pond Park (Riverdale Press, 12/12/21) – Located on the second level of a decommissioned 1925 powerhouse, this new 13,000 sf interactive center features a performance space mezzanine suspended from the existing roof framing and an exhibition mezzanine that incorporates curved cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels.

At the Smithsonian, an iridescent installation welcomes visitors into the future (Washingtonian, 11/19/21) – Expanded Present is a three-story asymmetrical portal leading into the recently opened FUTURES exhibition. Silman worked closely with the project team to design a series of complicated trusses that support the artwork without touching the historic Arts and Industry Building facade.

The Mycelium Project launches augmented reality experience (AIA New York News, 11/3/2021) – This collaborative initiative has unveiled an AR experience at the Center for Architecture that is intended to help audiences better understand the formal qualities and architectural applications of mycelia, the masses of thread-like filaments that form the vegetative part of fungi.

Interdisciplinary building at College of the Atlantic overlooks Frenchman Bay (Architectural Record, 11/1/2021) – Silman worked with the project team to design a new 28,000 sf building in Bar Harbor in accordance with Passive House energy efficiency standards. The wood-framed structure’s interior spaces include design studios, a teaching greenhouse, and laboratories.

Maya Lin sculpture rises through atrium of Penn Medicine pavilion (WHYY, 11/1/2021) – Decoding the Tree of Life is comprised of 22 cast stainless steel branches and over 15,000 hand-blown glass spheres. The artist and architect drew inspiration from branching trees, the shape of the Schuylkill River, and DNA’s double helix structure.

Manhattan College dedicates new STEM center on its south campus (Manhattan College News, 10/19/21) – A grand triple-height atrium with a cantilevered stair connects this new LEED Gold certified facility to the refurbished Leo Hall. Silman coordinated closely with the architect to determine how a new curtain wall system would be attached to each floor slab.

Battery Maritime Building is restored to its historic Beaux-Arts grandeur (Metropolis Mag, 10/7/21) – Silman’s work on this long-neglected ferry terminal, now transformed to create the new Casa Cipriani hotel, dates back nearly two decades. The firm’s recent work included threading in a new steel superstructure to support a vertical expansion.

Bread for the City expands healthcare options in Southeast DC (Washington Post, 10/4) – Located on Good Hope Road east of the Anacostia River, this new 30,000 sf facility features large windows, a rooftop garden, and a medical clinic.

AWARDS

Architect's Newspaper Best of Design Awards: Amant Foundation (Project of the Year), Brugge Diptych Pavilion, Outside the Lines High Museum Installation, Princeton University Art Museum, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library

Municipal Art Society of New York MASterworks Awards: Amant Foundation, Pier 26, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library

Residential Architect Design Awards: The Aya Short Term Family Housing

Metal Construction Project Excellence Awards: Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library

Engineering News-Record Mid-Atlantic Best Projects: Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library

ON THE BOARDS

Princeton breaks ground on new campus museum building (Real Estate Weekly, 12/17/21) – This new three-story, 144,000 sf facility will have galleries organized as a series of interlocking cubes. Silman is framing these galleries with structural steel and using large timber glulam elements to support the roofs.

Excavation underway at Alloy Block in downtown Brooklyn (New York YIMBY, 12/16/21) – The first phase of this new mixed-use development will construct two schools seeking Passive House efficiency standards and a new 44-story mixed-use building that will be the city's first all-electric skyscraper.

Design revealed for landmark New York City townhouse conversion (Dezeen, 12/14/21) – Located directly across from the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Fifth Avenue, this 1907 building will be adapted for use by a non-profit institution. The design aims to create public spaces on the lower levels, accommodate residential spaces on the upper levels, and bring natural light into the narrow interior using a central winter garden.

Detroit art campus to be anchored by converted church (Architect's Newspaper, 10/27/21) – Outdoor spaces on this 2.5-acre community-focused art campus will include a sculpture garden and a skate park. Among other project components, Silman is designing new interior gallery structures that will be carefully integrated into the original church architecture.

Facade installation continues at new World Trade Center complex performance venue (Curbed, 10/7/21) – With a program including three theaters that can be re-configured into a single large venue, the Ronald O. Perelman Performing Arts Center will serve as an anchor for downtown arts communities. The steel-framed building’s 4,900 translucent marble panels will allow light to emanate from within at night.

City planning board likes conceptual scheme for farmers market (Ithaca Times, 10/5/21) – Contending with a complicated site, the design for the new Ithaca Farmers Market promises a sophisticated and modern facility for vendors and the public. Silman’s recent collaborations with nArchitects include the NYS Equal Rights Heritage Center and the Jones Beach Energy and Nature Center.