New York Aquarium

Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY
Finalist, Invited Competition by NYCEDC
Winner, The Chicago Athenaeum American Architecture Award, 2008

In a joint venture with Smith-Miller and Hawkinson, SCAPE was chosen by the New York City Economic Development Corporation as one of three finalists in this invited competition to redesign the perimeter of the New York Aquarium. Our design focuses on integrating the New York Aquarium with its unique setting directly adjacent to the famous Coney Island boardwalk and beach. A Wave Fence brings the Aquarium to the beach, creating opportunities for views and interaction with the Aquarium’s new outdoor spaces. Meanwhile, a Sandscape extends the beach into the space of the Aquarium, creating new ecologies and local connections to the environment. The project uses green design principles to achieve its ends: the wave fence was painted with a phosphorescent paint for maximum effect with minimum energy consumption, recycled rubber play surface was used integrally with real sand to create an artificial public dunescape.

Credits:
Collaboration with SMH