Pier 42

New York, USA

Architects: Leroy Street Studio Architecture

Location: New York, USA
Year: 2015

The Lower East Side Waterfront Alliance engaged community members in the Lower East Side and Chinatown to develop a community vision for the East River waterfront and former commercial pier, Pier 42. The community-driven plan, titled “A People’s Plan for the East River Waterfront,” presented a vision embraced by area residents and stakeholders.

This vision, embodied in the project Paths to Pier 42, builds on neighborhood advocacy to increase access and create public uses for Pier 42 while it awaits permanent transformation over the next decade. One of the first actions taken was to open the waterfront to the neighboring community by developing a site for a temporary park that would successfully incorporate a series of art, education, and design programs and installations along the East River.

LSS collaborated with a partner landscape architecture firm to design a site strategy that softened the space and provided areas for seating, enclosure, and shade. In addition to overseeing the master plan, LSS also designed and built three kinetic structures to enhance the visitor-experience of the site: an entry tunnel and bridge, a shaded gathering and classroom space, and a waterfront shade canopy.