Using cardboard, wood and plastic, 48 fourth-year students from New York Institute of
Technology’s (NYIT) School of Architecture and Design displayed their visions for lower
Manhattan and the World Trade Center site in a competition held on Dec. 3 – just two weeks
before the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation unveils site designs by seven distinguished
teams
of architects.
The
models and drawings were exhibited by
twenty teams of two or three NYIT students who were competing for the $500
first prize award determined by a jury of architectural community
professionals (including Rick Bell, executive director of the New York Chapter
of the American Institute of Architects).
With much disagreement over the fate of the World Trade Center site, NYIT’s
students were able to offer a new perspective.
One group designed two towers that would glow at night by capturing
energy from sunlight. Another
included two 80-story towers, whose upper floors, roughly where the towers
were struck, would contain memorial gardens.
“The educational forum in which this was cast provided a whole other facet
on how to approach the site,” said Judith Di Maio, dean of NYIT’s School
of Architecture and Design.
Students Wendy Calderon (of Peruvian descent, living in Woodside, NY),
Hyangjin Jim and Tae Jun Kim (both of Korean descent, living in Elmhurst, NY)
won first place with a design that was able to overlap elements of the civic,
cultural and financial districts, while still being sensitive to the integrity
of the site.
“It
was a compelling vision that was sensitive to the concerns of the development
site post 9-11,” said NYIT architecture Professor John di Domenico. The
jury also liked the design because of its feasibility, said Jonathan
Friedman,
professor of architecture at NYIT.
Professor di Domenico and Professor Friedman, along with colleagues Professor Jon Schwarting, Professor Matthew Dockery and Professor Rodolfo Imas, have instructed the students since early September in NYIT’s Architectural Design V course. The course gives students the opportunity to redesign communities, with students having prepared urban design studies for Long Island City (Queens, NY), Sunset Park (Brooklyn, NY), and Glen Cove (on Long Island, NY’s North Shore) in previous semesters.
The Alliance for Downtown New York, which is the Business Improvement District serving the area south of Chambers Street, had previously met with the students to review goals and objectives for lower Manhattan’s revitalization. Financial sponsorship was provided by Michael Harris Spector of the Spector Group.
“What
they’re doing is not only theoretically interesting, but contemporary,”
said Professor Friedman. “It’s
been in the news almost every day.”
New
York Institute of Technology (www.nyit.edu)
is a front-of-the-mind, quality regional university with national and global
reach.
It ranks as the 12th largest international student
population among U.S. colleges, with a student body representing nearly 70
countries.
The university offers over 90 undergraduate programs and has six
professional graduate schools across three campuses located in Manhattan, Old
Westbury and Central Islip.
On-line courses and degrees are also available
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Press
contact: Tony
Vargas, NYIT Director of Media Relations, 212-261-1672 or [email protected]
Press
contact: Tony Vargas, NYIT Director of Media Relations,
212-261-1672 or [email protected]
New
York Institute of Technology’s (NYIT) School of Architecture and Design
students will display their award-winning models (4) for lower
Manhattan and the World Trade Center site.
What:
Students
and dean from NYIT’s School of Architecture and Design will be available to
discuss exhibits on display at the Manhattan campus.
When:
Monday,
December 16th, 2002
9:00
a.m. – 11 a.m.
Where:
New
York Institute of Technology, 1855 Broadway
(Cross West 61st Street), 12th floor
Additional
Information:
Two
days before the Lower Manhattan Development Corp.
unveils the designs of seven teams of architects, the New York Institute of
Technology will display models of what they want to see on the World Trade
Center site. Three
exemplary teams received scholarship awards, with financial sponsorship
provided by Michael Harris Spector of the Spector Group.
The
fourth-year students have been working on their projects since early September
2002 as part of their Architectural Design V course.
The Alliance for Downtown New York, which is the Business
Improvement District serving the area south of Chambers Street, had previously
met with the students to review
goals and objectives for lower Manhattan’s revitalization.
NYIT (New York Institute of Technology) is an independent, comprehensive college that offers, through eight schools, more than 100 courses of study leading to undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. NYIT currently educates more than 11,000 students on three physical campuses – in Old Westbury and Central Islip, Long Island, and Manhattan, near Lincoln Center – and one virtual campus via the Internet. More than 60,000 alumni have received degrees from NYIT.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, PLEASE:
TUESDAY - DECEMBER 3, 2002
WORLD TRADE CENTER PLANS UNVEILED BY
NYIT ARCHITECTURE STUDENTS
Students from NYIT’s School of Architecture and Design will present their plans for lower Manhattan and the World Trade Center site before a notable group of architectural community professionals. Sponsored by MTA New York City Transit, "Renewal and Rebuilding Lower Manhattan and the World Trade Center Site" will be held on Tuesday, December 3rd, 2002 at 25 Broadway, 2nd floor. Time: 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM
The students’ drawings and models will be critiqued by a distinguished group of invited guests, including Rick Bell, executive director of the New York Chapter of the AIA, and Rob Lane of Regional Plan Association. Three exemplary teams will receive scholarship awards, with financial sponsorship provided by Michael Harris Spector of the Spector Group.
The fourth-year students have been working on their projects since early September 2002 as part of their Architectural Design V course. The Alliance for Downtown New York, which is the Business Improvement District serving the area south of Chambers Street, had previously met with the students to review goals and objectives for lower Manhattan’s revitalization.
Each year NYIT works with a community on a design project that is timely and important for that community. In recent years, students have prepared urban design studies for Long Island City, Glen Cove and Sunset Park.
NYIT (New York Institute of Technology) is an independent, comprehensive college that offers, through eight schools, more than 100 courses of study leading to undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. NYIT currently educates more than 11,000 students on three physical campuses–in Old Westbury and Central Islip, Long Island, and Manhattan, near Lincoln Center–and one virtual campus via the Internet. More than 60,000 alumni have received degrees from NYIT.
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Press contact: Tony Vargas, NYIT Director of Media Relations, 212-261-1672 or [email protected]