SPACE FOR GATHERING
BFA . DESIGN STUDIO 5 . FALL 2017 . NEW YORK, USA
The ruins of the Smallpox Memorial Hospital (1854) - Roosevelt Island, New York - were the site for this renovation proposal project.
The concept is a space that can be used in multiple ways depending on the level the visitor is on. A food market on the ground level (hub) is open to the public. All the food is produced in the vertical farm that was added on the back of the existing structure. A party space — on the upper level — with a bar and lounge has a view to the surrounding areas (including the Manhattan skyline). Finally a café along the windows (supplied by the farm) gives people the opportunity to gather and enjoy the space with a different perspective.
In order to enhance the ruin aesthetic of the existing structure, copper plated steel columns and beams were used to shape the damaged areas and reinforce them as well as allowing for a glass structure to be added on the roof.
Finally, the vertical farm is divided into two parts: light and earth. In the first one, sun-requiring harvest would happen, while in the earth side, shaded harvest would happen underground.
