Winter 2022-23 Project Roundup: Openings, Awards, and On the Boards

NEWLY OPENED

Century-old greenhouse transformed into the David Rockefeller Creative Arts Center (Architect's Newspaper, 3/8/23) – The conversion of an early 20th century greenhouse to an art studio and theater required the removal of several rows of interior columns, reconfiguration and reinforcement of roof framing, and reinforcement of existing exterior columns.

Testbeds pilot structure featured in MoMA’s New York, New Publics exhibition (World-Architects, 3/6/23) – An ongoing initiative to repurpose architectural mockups was one of 12 projects in the MoMa exhibition. Silman provided structural engineering services for the pilot project, a garden shed that incorporates four custom precast panels and a large window from a new luxury condo.

The Bronx Children’s Museum is just antic enough (Curbed, 2/22/23) – The Bronx Children’s Museum has found its new permanent home in a 1925 powerhouse near Yankee Stadium. Silman designed the new structure for multiple mezzanines, including an exhibit space platform framed with cross-laminated timber (CLT) planks.

A heart-shaped topiary blooms in Times Square for Valentine's Day (Architectural Record, 2/14/23) – Every February, the winner of the Times Square Arts Love & Design Competition takes its temporary place in the middle of Times Square. Silman provided structural consulting services for this year’s installation, an artificial garden consisting of four heart-shaped hedge rows.

New sculpture and plaza honor Martin Luther King and Coretta Scott King (Architect's Newspaper, 1/16/23) – A new 20-foot-tall, 19-ton sculpture depicting the intertwined arms of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King has been unveiled in Boston Common, the country’s oldest public park.

Cathedral of St. John the Divine solves a 100-year-old problem (New York Times, 12/22/22) – After a $17 million rehabilitation, the building's massive Guastavino tile dome has been restored and gained a new copper roof. The dome was originally intended to be temporary, but the spire that would have replaced it was never built.

AWARDS

AIA Interior Architecture Award: Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library

AIA New York Design Awards: Princeton University Residential Colleges, TheatreSquared, Battery Maritime Building, Bronx Children's Museum

Lucy G Moses Preservation Awards: Lefferts Historic House, New York State Pavilion, Pier 57

Residential Architect Design Awards | Architect Magazine: Six Square House

SEA-MW Excellence in Structural Engineering Awards: School Within School at Goding Elementary School – Renovation $25-$75M

ON THE BOARDS

A 1908 Cass Gilbert train station will be transformed into an event and performance space (Architect's Newspaper, 2/24/23) – The single-story masonry structure features a hipped roof and French Renaissance gabled dormers. Silman's work will include structural repairs and exterior envelope work.

Historic Old North Church in Boston restores underground crypt (MassLive, 2/18/23) – The crypt will be restored, renovated and made more accessible, allowing the public to better understand the site's rich history.

Red Hook Library to close for two years to undergo $17.5 million facelift (Brooklyn Paper, 2/17/23) – Located in one of Brooklyn’s severe flood zones, this single-story building withstood significant damage during Hurricane Sandy. Silman is providing services for a renovation that will make the library more resilient against future flooding.

At the Domino Sugar Refinery, a glass egg in a brick shell  (New York Times, 2/12/23) – A new steel and concrete interior structure supports the building’s stabilized brick masonry exterior. Once complete, the 1880s refinery will provide 460,000 sf of Class A office space.

NYC’s first all-electric skyscraper tops out in Downtown Brooklyn (6sqft, 1/18/23) – 100 Flatbush Avenue is a reinforced concrete structure that will provide a mix of market-rate and affordable housing in addition to numerous amenity spaces for residents. The building is part of the first phase of a larger mixed-use development known as the Alloy Block.

Manhattan sunbathers will get their first public beach on Gansevoort Peninsula (The Daily Beast, 1/14/23) – The new 5.5-acre recreational space will also feature kayak slips and an athletic field. An open-air cast-in-place concrete canopy, tapered along its perimeter and supported on steel-encased concrete columns, will shade a trio of enclosed structures.

Audubon Terrace is extending an olive branch to Washington Heights (New York Times, 1/6/23) – As plans for future work continue, the Hispanic Society of America plans to reopen the signature space of its main building this spring. The Spanish Renaissance-style Main Court has been closed for renovations since 2017.

Construction begins on a sleek visitor center for a Gilded Age arboretum (Architect's Newspaper, 1/4/23) – The state park containing Bayard Cutting Arboretum, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted in the 1880s, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. A new 1,600 sf visitor center will display information and artifacts relating to the Tudor mansion on the grounds.

A secret society tied to the Underground Railroad fights to save its home (New York Times, 12/20/22) – 87 MacDonough Street is the current headquarters of the oldest benefit society for African-American women in the United States. Due to extensive water damage at the site, the entire 1860s building is in need of repair and restoration. Silman is assisting the organization pro bono by documenting structural conditions, making repair recommendations, and helping to plan a restoration campaign.