Pier 6 Restorative Innovation Hub

In response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy on New York City and other coastal areas, this program sought to explore interventions to promote productive coastal cities in an era of climate change. After consulting local businesses within the Brooklyn Navy Yard, we developed a modular floating pier design to enable continued productivity in the face of rising sea levels and increasing storm events.

The proposal saves and repurposes character elements of the dilapidated Pier 6, while integrating a series of floating modules for a new innovation hub. Wetland modules use phytoremediation and oysters to clean and filter water from the East River into a new pubic swimming pool, while flat platform modules provide space for businesses in adaptable shipping container architecture.

Character-defining elements are retained through selective preservation of piles and the old gantry crane rails. Spiral troughs installed on existing piles provide intertidal habitat for bivalves that help purify harbour water.

A linear, floating tank forms the spine of the new pier, providing access to plug-in modules via garden-lined public walkways. The tank serves as a new public swimming pool along the waterfront.

Floating wetland modules plug in along the central pool. Water is pumped in from the harbour and treated via phytoremediation. Cleaned water fills the public swimming pool, which overflows into the harbour.

Flat plug-in modules form a platform for new flex-program space. Shipping container architecture provides adaptable space for a variety of organizations and businesses.

As floating modules, the new assembly is guided by piles to rise and fall with the tide. In the face of rising sea levels and in the event of storm surges, this protects the hub from flooding.