From the Architect's Newspaper:The federally owned plaza where Richard Serra’s controversial Tilted Arc sculpture once stood—and now sprawls landscape architect Martha Schwartz’s composition of planted mounds and bright-green curling benches—is getting another makeover this spring. The General Services Administration (GSA) has confirmed that Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates will redesign the public space in front of the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building, working under lead architect Wank Adams Slavin Associates (WASA).
The new design for the plaza, at the intersection of Lafayette and Worth streets in Lower Manhattan, will be the site’s fourth iteration in just over 20 years, taking into account temporary landscaping that occupied the space for eight years between the 1989 removal of Serra’s wall of weathered steel and the construction of Schwartz’s design. The GSA said the work is being principally undertaken to repair the waterproofing of a parking garage beneath the plaza, which makes the project eligible for funds from last year’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The two-year, $5 million to $10 million endeavor entails the demolition of the existing plaza, reinforcement and repair of the parking garage roof, and installation of landscaping, lighting, security features, and other elements.
7 comments:
Are they spiffing up the security bollards and checkpoint charlies, and are the bomb sniffing dogs getting new flea collars?
www.forgotten-ny.com
I work in the building. The plaza definitely needs a makeover. The "mounds"-- that's a polite name for them-- and the purple curvy benches have seen better days. Also, $10M is cheap by federal standards for anything! SOrry, but that's the truth.
Indeed, Federal Plaza has seen better days, but will this project create jobs? Or will it be a hole in the ground for years to come?
Hey guys, tuff shit. How many people go to work in less than parklike settings?
This is rent money - this is college tuition money - this is that extra bedroom money that you are taking away from people in taxes - just so some fat assed beaurocratic drone has a place to park his butt?
No one is serious about the shit hitting the fan except to scare the poor tax payer into paying even more taxes.
It's all pork. It's all put in the budget by the crooks the people elect. Not one penny of this needs to be spent. Someday, we may figure it out, and elect those who promise not to pork up the federal budget.
The new design for the plaza ... will be the site’s fourth iteration in just over 20 years ...
What a racket! When can we expect Number Five to start? Maybe the GSA should start putting out bids now.
The GSA said the work is being principally undertaken to repair the waterproofing of a parking garage beneath the plaza ...
And when they're done with this project, send them over to the Queens Boulevard viaduct of the 7 line so they can repair the waterproofing of the 40th Street station.
The gsa should be more transparent about this project. With the amount it could help a lot of more important things than this park.
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