Spring 2022 Project Roundup: Openings, Awards, and On the Boards

NEWLY OPENED

Community climbing boulder unveiled on Governors Island's Western Promenade (Governors Island blog, 6/7/22) – The new attraction is free and open to the public. Silman's work on the island also includes numerous structures within the historic district towards the east.

1860s school transformed into voice-activated language museum (Metropolis Mag, 5/25/22) – Planet Word now occupies a 62,000 sf Renaissance Revival structure bordering Franklin Park. The former flagship public school building was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1996.

NYC's first mass timber condominiums are now for sale in Brooklyn (Curbed, 5/10/22) – Silman originally designed this six-story building's floor structure as CLT panels, but the project ultimately moved forward with GLT due to the building code in effect at the time of building department filing.

The 92nd Street Y rebrands as part of a $200 million redevelopment (Gothamist, 5/10/22) – Silman's main scope of work is the restoration and modernization of Buttenweiser Hall, including modifications to the proscenium and a new mezzanine walkway.

New global embassy for women opens in DC (WJLA, 5/5/22) – Vital Voices has opened its Global Headquarters for Women’s Leadership in a seven-story structure on 16th Street. The century-old building now features a library, a forum, and rooftop terrace.

NYC's largest rooftop park opens atop Chelsea's historic Pier 57 (The Architect's Newspaper, 4/19/22) – Hudson River Park now boasts an additional 80,000 sf of public green space. The renovated building's interior is home to commercial tenants including Google.

A look inside the newly renovated Studio Theatre on 14th Street (DCist, 4/1/22) – Visitors to the Logan Circle building will now be welcomed by a new box office and signage on 14th Street. Inside, a former black box theater has received a high-tech upgrade.

Ambitious architecture has arrived at Richmond's Church Hill North (The Architect's Newspaper, 3/30/22) – The culinary program at Reynolds Community College occupies about 50% of this new space; the other half of the program consists of a dozen affordable apartments and leasable space for restaurants. This project was also featured in The Plan.

Beachfront Dominican Republic retreat topped by an undulating roof (DesignBoom, 3/21/22) – This large-scale tropical vacation home is at the junction between the beach and the jungle.

AWARDS

AIA Housing Design Awards: The Aya Affordable Housing

AIA Small Project Awards: A Wall Made of Bricks (Carroll Hall)

AIA/ALA Library Building Awards: Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library

AIA Maine Design Awards, Honor Award: College of the Atlantic, Davis Center for Human Ecology

Architizer A+ Awards (Typology): Kearny Point Building 78 Annex, Church Hill North Community Hybrid, 520 West 20th Street, Greenpoint Library and Environmental Education Center, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library

Associated General Contractors of NYS Jeffrey J. Zogg Build NY Award: Nathaniel Rogers House

Boston Preservation Alliance Preservation Achievement Award: Charles River Speedway, Shaw 54th Regiment Memorial

Palladio Award, Commercial Renovation & Restoration: James Warfield House, Gettysburg National Military Park

Preservation Massachusetts Robert H. Kuehn, Jr. Award: Charles River Speedway

SARA|NY Design Awards: Ronald O. Perelman Performing Arts Center, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library, Park Avenue Synagogue, Trinity Church Wall Street, Cortelyou Road & the Baptist Church of the Redeemer, Gansevoort Row

ON THE BOARDS

Rappelling down the Bennington Battle Monument, preparing for restoration (Manchester Journal, 5/11/22) – The first stage of this monument's extensive facelift is a thorough conditions assessment of the exterior stone and mortar.

Officials break ground on Boston Common MLK memorial (WBUR, 4/28/22) – A new 20-foot-tall bronze sculpture depicting intertwined hands will be placed in the country's oldest public park. Silman is providing structural engineering services for the foundations and plaza structure. The firm's previous work at Boston Common includes the Robert Gould Shaw and the 54th Regiment Memorial.

NYC’s Museum of Chinese in America unveils new building on Centre Street (6sqft, 4/1/22) – The nine-story, 68,000 sf facility will be on the site of MOCA’s current Centre Street location. This project is expected to open by 2025.