RE:CONSTRUCTION
Alliance for Downtown New York, Inc. 120 Broadway, Suite 3340 New York, New York 10271 The mission of the Alliance for Downtown New York is to provide service, advocacy, research and information to advance Lower Manhattan as a global model of the 21st Century Central Business District for the businesses, residents and visitors.
www.DowntownNY.com
RE:CONSTRUCTION
Portrait of Progress in Lower Manhattan
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From the Chairman and President Lower Manhattan is in a constant state of reinvention. It is a neighborhood synonymous with progress and renewal. More than 400 years of history have shown that Lower Manhattan is a wellspring of innovation, resilience, and resounding achievement. It has always creatively “reconstructed” itself as it adapts to new peoples, new challenges, new technologies, and the unforeseen. In the dozen years since September 11, 2001, Lower Manhattan is experiencing another renaissance. Over these last 12 years, private and public entities have invested $30 billion in Lower Manhattan. While this monumental investment is adding incredible dynamism to our already swiftly evolving neighborhood, it has also created a set of temporary challenges as 70 significant construction projects have been launched in a densely packed district. In response, the Downtown Alliance asked: how do we harness the tumult and create something positive and beautiful for the 60,000 people who call Lower Manhattan home, the hundreds of thousands who work here, and the millions who come and visit? The answer: Re:Construction, a groundbreaking initiative that recasts construction barriers as large-scale canvases for temporary public art. Amid the hustle and bustle of fast-changing Lower Manhattan, since 2007 the Re:Construction program has unveiled nearly 40 works of art—making our sidewalks more user-friendly, our streetscape more scenic, and integrating thought-provoking and delightful art into the pedestrian experience. We are proud to present this collection of images of our Re:Construction projects. After you explore these works of art in the pages of this book, we invite you to come explore our streets, to experience those still on display for yourself as they were intended to be experienced. As you walk around, you will notice that Lower Manhattan never stands still—its excitement, beauty and vitality is always being built.
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Robert R. Douglass Chairman
Elizabeth H. Berger President
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TABLE OF CONTENTS Letter from the Chairman & President............................................................................. 3
Poster Project @ 50 Trinity............................................................................................. 39
Overview.............................................................................................................................. 7
Concrete Jungle.................................................................................................................40
Rhythm & Movement.....................................................................................................9
Flying Animals.................................................................................................................. 42
Walking Men 99 ............................................................................................................. 10
Monk Parakeets with Mourning Doves and Redwings................................................. 44
Water Movements..............................................................................................................12
Cityscapes...............................................................................................................47
Men at Work.......................................................................................................................14
Around the Corner............................................................................................................ 48
Aquatic Dream.................................................................................................................. 16
Walks of Life...................................................................................................................... 50
Untitled...............................................................................................................................17
Houston Fence....................................................................................................................51
Life, Actually.......................................................................................................................18
Rendering Leonard........................................................................................................... 52
Natural Beauty................................................................................................................ 21
Hours of the Day............................................................................................................... 53
Half Awake, Half Alseep................................................................................................... 22
Fulton Fence...................................................................................................................... 54
Sour Gum Tree: Seasonal Glory...................................................................................... 24
Drift.................................................................................................................................... 55
Mirage Canyon.................................................................................................................. 25
Urban Umbrella................................................................................................................ 56
Restore the View............................................................................................................... 26
The Greatest City on Earth.............................................................................................. 58
Green Gate, Summer........................................................................................................ 27
Corbin Building................................................................................................................. 59
Secret Gardens.................................................................................................................. 28
Finding Your Way............................................................................................................ 61
Star Sun Burst...................................................................................................................30
WardWalk.......................................................................................................................... 62
Fence Embroidery with Embellishment..........................................................................31
Best Pedestrian Route....................................................................................................... 64
Rainbow Conversation..................................................................................................... 32
Wayfinding......................................................................................................................... 66
It Takes Time to Turn a Space Around......................................................................... 33
Lasting Impressions...................................................................................................... 69
Botanizing on the Asphalt................................................................................................ 34
Alliance for Downtown New York Board of Directors.................................................. 70
Urban Jungle .............................................................................................................. 37
Acknowledgments .............................................................................................................71
Downtown Dogs................................................................................................................ 38
Photo Credits..................................................................................................................... 72
TM
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OVERVIEW: As the year 2000 approached, Lower Manhattan, the one-square mile at the tip of the island, had become home to a stronger, more diverse mix of businesses than the district had seen in many decades, a growing residential community, and millions of visitors from across the globe. Then came the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center. In the aftermath, the eyes of the world remained fixed on the neighborhood as people from all walks of life and all corners of the earth joined in the recovery and rebuilding process. The rebuilding has brought a more than decade-long wave of construction. While many major projects are now nearing completion, the last dozen years of ambitious work has brought interruptions, inconveniences and challenges along with exciting and essential new improvements and redevelopment. That’s where the Downtown Alliance entered the picture, unveiling a novel construction mitigation program—the Re:Construction project – to transform the often unsightly barriers that frame construction sites into public canvases for artists to create contextual works on a large scale. In collaboration with the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC), the Downtown Alliance piloted the program in November 2007, after considering 120 potential projects submitted by artists and architects responding to an open call for proposals. Re:Construction began with four sites on or near Broadway and along West Street. Several months later, the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (LMDC) awarded the Downtown Alliance a $1.5 million Community Enhancement Fund grant to “mitigate the impact of construction” by expanding Re:Construction throughout Lower Manhattan, and complementing that initiative with temporary signage and wayfinding elements.
the full program, which matched submissions from a roster of emerging and accomplished artists with private and public property owners wishing to turn construction eyesores into eye-catching works of beauty. Four arts consultants selected by the advisory committee presented artist portfolios to interested owners who made the final selections. The Downtown Alliance and art consultants managed the rest, supported by The LMDC grant, which covered the acquisition of the materials, fabrication, installation, deinstallation and payment of fees. To date, Re:Construction has produced close to 40 public art and wayfinding projects from the tip of Manhattan up to Houston Street. Vital to the program’s success were arts consultants Karin Bravin, Abby Messitte, Lisa Shimamura, and Ayalet Danielle Adouby often working with Elinor Milchan, who identified, nurtured and managed the art installations. The program could not have succeeded without the Advisory Committee and a dedicated Downtown Alliance team. The program has been emulated locally, nationally and globally. The installations have been featured on a record album cover, been the backdrop to numerous wedding pictures, and won an American Institute of Architects award. As Downtown Alliance President Elizabeth Berger told The New York Times in 2010, “It’s an example of how temporary interventions can transform a community. This project is not just beautiful but thought-provoking on many levels.” Thought-provoking indeed. Construction remakes our world and art has the capacity to reshape our perception of our environment. In the following pages, you can see how the projects that made up Re:Construction explored the intersection of these forces and how they marked, and have perhaps changed our perception of, what it is to walk through a world in flux.
In consultation with an advisory committee comprised of government agency officials, arts professionals, and Lower Manhattan leaders, the Downtown Alliance launched 6
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RHYTHM & MOVEMENT “ Lower Manhattan’s ongoing rebirth as a vibrant 24/7 community can be seen not only in the growth of its residents, companies, and visitors, but also in the amount of new construction that continues to reshape the area. The Downtown Alliance’s Re:Construction initiative turns construction sites into artistic canvases, integrating works of art into our streetscapes in ways that reflect the cultural dynamism of the community.” – Hon. Michael R. Bloomberg, Mayor of the City of New York
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“As I was witnessing pedestrian traffic lights in the
WALKING MEN 99
™
city slowly changing their instructive ‘Walk’ and ‘Don’t Walk’ language into a friendlier graphic representation, it seemed appropriate that a city of countless languages would mark its streets
ARTIST - Maya Barkai
with iconic figures that transcend all cultural
CURATOR - ARTEA Projects
barriers.”
VENUE - 99 Church Street
– Maya Barkai, Artist
UNVEILED - 2010 “Stop by sometime to see this amazing art that
WALKING MEN 99TM 2ND EDITION Located at a Silverstein Properties site, Walking
has been created for the public.” – Froggy Fever, P.S. 234’s Fifth Grade Newspaper
Men 99 was updated in 2011 to showcase 24 TM
new figures from cities around the globe.
“It was important to me, as I was making a ‘personal’ album, that the cover image be grounded in my neighborhood, Lower Manhattan, where I’ve lived for 30+ years. The photo was snapped casually in front of Maya Barkai’s Walking Men 99TM by Canadian photographer Kelley Jeffrey. Once I saw the image, with its sense of movement and travel, it struck me that it would make a perfect cover for Between the Times and the Tides. ” – Lee Ranaldo, Co-Founder, Sonic Youth (See Ranaldo’s album cover at left)
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WATER MOVEMENTS ARTIST - Lordy Rodriguez CURATOR - Abby Messitte VENUE - Fulton and Pearl streets UNVEILED - 2011
“The Downtown Alliance has been a great partner as we transform selected locations in the great outdoors into green galleries for art. The Alliance is a dependable public resource for offering New Yorkers, and visitors to our city, unexpected and engaging works of art.” – Hon. Adrian Benepe, former Commissioner of the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation
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“Walking Men 99TM and Men at Work are
MEN AT WORK
wonderful examples of public-space art. We were thrilled to work with the Downtown Alliance and artist Maya Barkai to wrap the bases of our construction projects at 99 Church Street
ARTIST - Maya Barkai
and 4 World Trade Center. Maya’s work captures
CURATOR - ARTEA Projects
the spirit of Lower Manhattan and New Yorkers’
VENUE - Liberty and Church streets
enthusiasm for rebuilding the World Trade
UNVEILED - 2011
Center. It also pays tribute to the thousands of men and women involved in this historic effort.” – Larry A. Silverstein, President & CEO, Silverstein Properties
“Only in Lower Manhattan can an active construction site be transformed into a canvas for public art. What began as painted plywood or scaffolding becomes a splash of color, or a wayfinding resource, a boost for local business, or a thrilling expression of urban vitality.” – Hon. Catherine McVay Hughes, Chair, Community Board 1
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AQUATIC DREAM
UNTITLED
ARTIST - Tatyana Murray
ARTIST - Dzine
CURATOR - ARTEA Projects
VENUE - 200 West Street
VENUE - Hubert Street
UNVEILED - 2007
between Washington and Hudson streets
UNVEILED - 2011
“ The construction boom taking place in Lower Manhattan is a result of our great success in rebuilding this community. By creating Re:Construction, an innovative and exciting program, the Downtown Alliance has transformed what could potentially be eyesores into wonderful public art, enriching the daily experiences of residents, workers and visitors.” – Hon. Sheldon Silver, Assembly Speaker, New York State
“We are proud to have been among the first of the Alliance’s Re:Construction projects and to have been a part of its bold initiative to improve the quality of life in Lower Manhattan by turning building scaffolding and Jersey barriers into works of art.” – Timur Galen, Managing Director, Goldman, Sachs & Co.
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LIFE, ACTUALLY
“It was an amazing opportunity to see my work on a scale this size. Bringing it into the
ARTIST - Kinga Czerska
public domain has provided me with instant
CURATOR - ARTEA Projects
feedback, and I could see first-hand how the
VENUE - 50 West Street
work is changing people’s lives and
UNVEILED - 2011
perceptions...and to me that is what art is about.” – Kinga Czerska, Artist
“ I was driving around, looking for a shot with this couple. The design looked like a heart and here I had this wedding couple. I loved the idea of tying this New York moment together – construction mixed with beautiful art, mixed with a couple on their way to get married.” – Ian Londin, Londin Photography
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NATURAL BEAUTY “ The Re:Construction project has contributed to the vitality of Lower Manhattan by humanizing construction sites and infusing art into often unattractive spaces.” – Sam Miller, President, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council
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HALF AWAKE, HALF ASLEEP ARTIST - Maki Kaoru CURATOR - Colab Projects VENUE - Canal and Varick streets UNVEILED - 2011
“We were excited to work with the Downtown Alliance and Lower Manhattan Cultural Council to bring the Re:Construction public-art program to Hudson Square. Maki Kaoru’s colorful installation was a perfect complement to this vibrant neighborhood and the hundreds of creative businesses in the district.” – Ellen Baer, President, Hudson Square Connection
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SOUR GUM TREE: SEASONAL GLORY
MIRAGE CANYON
ARTIST - Larry Lederman
ARTIST - Fareen Butt
CURATOR - BravinLee programs
CURATOR - Colab Projects
VENUE - Nassau Street between Spruce and
VENUE - 180 Broadway
Beekman streets and Fulton Street between
UNVEILED - 2011
Pearl and Cliff streets
UNVEILED - 2011
“ Last summer I met a woman on a train who told me that she lived in the Wall Street area. I asked her if she had
“ Re:Construction is a terrific initiative that showcases emerging artists while making active construction sites
seen any of our art projects. She had indeed seen them, and she looked at me and said, ‘I want you to know they
more visually appealing.”
really made a difference’.”
– Hon. David J. Burney, New York City Commissioner, Department of Design & Construction
– Karin Bravin, Arts Consultant, BravinLee programs
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RESTORE THE VIEW
GREEN GATE, SUMMER
ARTIST - Richard Pasquarelli CURATOR - BravinLee programs VENUE - Fiterman Hall (245 Greenwich Street)
ARTIST - Raina Accardi
UNVEILED - 2010
CURATOR - Whitney Barrat VENUE - AIG Building (175 Water Street) UNVEILED - 2008
“ For the last serveral years, workers, residents and visitors to Lower Manhattan have watched the new Fiterman Hall rise above Richard Pasquarelli’s clouds. His beautiful art installation atop our sidewalk bridge, generously donated by
in, and offering a view into an unexpected world. The photograph portrayed nature as an abundance contained and
the Downtown Alliance, fittingly announced the arrival of one of our finest buildings.”
organized by repetition and structure. My hope is that a balance between the man-made and nature was achieved.”
– Hon. Iris Weinshall, Vice Chancellor, City University of New York, and former Commissioner, New York City Department of Transportation
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“Green Gate, Summer aimed to alter the public’s perception of the ubiquitous construction site, drawing the viewer
– Raina Accardi, Artist
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SECRET GARDENS ARTIST - Richard Pasquarelli CURATOR - BravinLee programs VENUE - Chambers Street (between West Street & West Broadway)
UNVEILED - 2010
“ The scale and site-specific nature of the projects presented an interesting challenge for me as an artist and provided great exposure for my work. I’d like to thank the Downtown Alliance for not only creating this visionary program, but for introducing me to a whole new way of thinking about and creating art.” – Richard Pasquarelli, Artist
“ Re:Construction has turned Lower Manhattan’s construction sites into galleries with designs and colors as bold as the new neighborhood that is emerging behind the work fences and scaffolds. With installations like Secret Gardens, we’ve partnered with the Downtown Alliance to transform local streets into inviting, attractive places to walk, work and explore even as the rebuilding continues.” – Hon. Janette Sadik-Khan, Commissioner, New York City Department of Transportation
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STAR SUN BURST
“ The fact that the art murals were located on the streets, at entrances to subway stations, and across and around neighborhood buildings enabled numerous pedestrians to be immediately exposed to art and experience it in a spontaneous, unpredicted and unrestricted manner.” – Elinor Milchan, Arts Consultant, ARTEA Projects
ARTIST - Tatyana Murray CURATOR - ARTEA Projects VENUE - Hudson Street between
FENCE EMBROIDERY WITH EMBELLISHMENT
Franklin Street and Ericsson Place
UNVEILED - 2010
ARTIST - Katherine Daniels CURATOR - BravinLee programs VENUE - South Street (between Wall Street & Maiden Lane)
UNVEILED - 2010
“Art always makes life better, and never more so than in the many Re:Construction projects in Lower Manhattan.” – Anne Patterson, Advisory Committee Member, visual artist and Lower Manhattan resident
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RAINBOW CONVERSATION
IT TAKES TIME TO TURN A SPACE AROUND
ARTIST - Rachel Hayes CURATOR - BravinLee programs VENUE - Louise Nevelson Plaza
ARTIST - Amy Wilson
UNVEILED - 2009
CURATOR - BravinLee programs VENUE - West Thames Park UNVEILED - 2010
“ Finally, a solution to all those pesky construction-site eyesores downtown. Downtown Alliance, in a stroke of genius, has developed and carried out the idea of urban art, while simultaneously revamping the street “ When I see the vibrant works of art, the installation pieces that have added color and energy to many
barriers and scaffolding that comprise the future of Lower Manhattan. Walking around the area, we’ve seen
Lower Manhattan construction sites, it confirms my strong belief that New York City is the city of
an array of creative transformations to brighten our corners.”
opportunity in the face of obstacles and remains undaunted.”
– Flavorpill (August 2009)
– Antonio Pérez, President, Borough of Manhattan Community College/CUNY
“ These graphics have added life and color to Lower Manhattan, a true spiritual balm.” – Reverend Canon Anne Mallonee, Trinity Wall Street
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BOTANIZING ON THE ASPHALT
“ Nina Bovasso’s bright and cheery flowers ‘planted’ along the Hudson River bike path gave “
the public the illusion of a park before the actual one arrived. There’s been so much construction downtown over the past decade; this has really helped keep Lower Manhattan more livable and playful while these important projects get done.”
ARTIST - Nina Bovasso CURATOR - BravinLee programs
– Connie Fishman, former President, Hudson River Park Trust
VENUE - Hudson River Park UNVEILED - 2009
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URBAN JUNGLE “ The mural on our construction site fence and others like it was like changing from sloppy work pants into an elegant suit. It brands and announces the quality of the project being undertaken. It creates a common identity for the projects being built all across Lower Manhattan and attempts to keep the streetscape attractive for residents even though the sites are in a transitional state.” – Francis Greenburger, Chairman & CEO, Time Equities, Inc.
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DOWNTOWN DOGS
POSTER PROJECT @ 50 TRINITY
ARTIST - Malin Abrahamsson CURATOR - ARTEA Projects VENUE - Grand and Lafayette streets
ARTIST - Ellen Berkenblit
UNVEILED - 2010
CURATOR - Abby Messitte VENUE - 50 Trinity Place UNVEILED - 2009
“ Commercial art, graphic design, and underground street art—originally three separate visual practices— become one in Downtown Dogs. Not only do I enjoy taking my art practice outside of the studio, but the collaborative aspect of a project like this is also really exciting. I hope this piece will be a bit of a colorful surprise to those who happen upon it. That would be the ultimate reward.” – Malin Abrahamsson, Artist
“Re:Construction was an extremely worthwhile opportunity to bring art outside of the gallery context and into such a public and interactive realm. The artwork gained new meaning from the surrounding cityscape, while simultaneously masking an unsightly work zone.” – Abby Messitte, Arts Consultant
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CONCRETE JUNGLE ARTIST - Tattfoo Tan VENUE - Broadway (between Ann and John Streets)
UNVEILED - 2007
“ Wrapping construction sites in artwork makes a
“ With the reconstruction of Lower Manhattan
world of difference to downtown residents, many
extending over a decade, the Lower Manhattan
of whom have lived through years of upheaval
Development Corporation and the Department of
in their neighborhood. The Alliance has worked
Housing and Urban Development are gratified to be
to improve and beautify Lower Manhattan, and
able to support a project which makes the impact of
the construction initiative is indicative of their
construction on the downtown community less painful.”
commitment to this community.” – Hon. David Emil, President, Lower Manhattan – Hon. Margaret Chin, Council Member, New York City
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Development Corporation
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FLYING ANIMALS ARTIST - Caitlin Hurd CURATOR - ARTEA Projects VENUE - Washington and Rector streets UNVEILED - 2009
“ As a much-needed palliative, there could almost be no better place for this project — known as ‘Re:Construction’ — than downtown New York, which seems to be nothing but construction and traffic barriers these days.” – David W. Dunlap, reporter, The New York Times (November 2007)
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MONK PARAKEETS WITH MOURNING DOVES AND REDWINGS ARTIST - Karen Ingram CURATOR - Colab Projects VENUE - 55 Liberty Street UNVEILED - 2010
“The Downtown Alliance has always been visionary, and this shows most dramatically with the Re:Construction program.” – Elizabeth Williams, Second Vice President, First Precinct Community Council
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CITYSCAPES “ The Downtown Alliance’s comprehensive approach to district improvement is a model for organizations across New York City and beyond. Culture has always been essential to New York’s economy, identity, and quality of life, and the innovative Re:Construction program highlights our city’s artistic vitality by integrating art into everyday life in this thriving community.” – Hon. Patricia E. Harris, First Deputy Mayor, New York City
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AROUND THE CORNER
“In Lower Manhattan, programs like Re:Construction have helped to demonstrate the many ways that arts and culture can contribute to a community, both tangibly and intangibly. In addition to beautifying
ARTIST - Greg Lamarche
the area’s streetscape during a long and
CURATOR - Colab Projects
complicated rebuilding process, the program
VENUE - Chase Plaza
has also helped to bring smiles to the faces of
UNVEILED - 2012
residents, workers, and visitors alike. In this way, programs like Re:Construction have made a meaningful and significant contribution to the rebirth of one of America’s great neighborhoods.” – Hon. Seth Pinsky, President, New York City Economic Development Corporation
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WALKS OF LIFE
HOUSTON FENCE
ARTIST - Claire Johnson
ARTISTS - Carolina Cisneros, Mateo Pinto,
CURATOR - Colab Projects
& Carlos J. Gomez de Llarena
VENUE - Church and Warren streets
CURATOR - Whitney Barrat
UNVEILED - 2011
VENUE - Broadway and Houston Street UNVEILED - 2008
“Public art is a vital, meaningful vehicle to present work to wide and diverse audiences. Through the inclusion of artists from a variety of cultures, Re:Construction adds a rich additional layer to this experience. Diversity in seeing and diversity in making is a powerful statement about our public sphere.” – Lisa Shimamura, Arts Consultant, Colab Projects
“I have no doubt: Lower Manhattan is one of the best places in the world to live, work, and raise a family, and collaborations like Downtown Alliance’s Re:Construction are integral as we rebuild, grow, and thrive.” – Hon. Daniel Squadron, State Senator, New York State
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“ Making the artwork was a welcome challenge. Working on a large scale is not alien to me, but 230 feet was
RENDERING LEONARD
larger than anything I had previously created. Seeing my art morph from the walls of my studio onto the streets of Manhattan was thrilling.”
HOURS OF THE DAY
– Helen Dennis, Artist
ARTIST - Richard Pasquarelli CURATOR - BravinLee programs
ARTIST - Helen Dennis CURATOR - ARTEA Projects
VENUE - W New York - Downtown UNVEILED - 2010
VENUE - 56 Leonard Street UNVEILED - 2010
“ That the successful installation of so many artworks is possible here, in one of the busiest square miles in the world, has always been exciting, humbling, and inspiring. It has been a pleasure to be a part of such a great effort, and to work with those who made it possible.” – Whitney Barrat, Program Director, Re:Construction
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FULTON FENCE
DRIFT
ARTISTS - Carolina Cisneros, Mateo Pinto
ARTIST - Rita MacDonald
D’Lacoste, & Carlos J. Gomez de Llarena
CURATOR - BravinLee programs
VENUE - Fulton Street (between Broadway
VENUE - 24 John Street
and Nassau Street)
UNVEILED - 2011
UNVEILED - 2007
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“ Re:Construction was conceived as a program that would make Lower Manhattan’s lengthy construction period
“ For Drift, I drew the cascading stripes from awning fabric turned on its side and ran the image along the length
palatable for the community. It has achieved that and so much more by bringing imagination, whimsy, and a
of sidewalk scaffolding. The optical effects of the pattern created a gesture of movement and motion intended
vibrant palate to construction sites throughout the area.”
to mirror the movement of the city street and sidewalk below.”
– William Bernstein, Chief Operating Officer, Alliance for Downtown New York
– Rita MacDonald, Artist
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URBAN UMBRELLA
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“ Urban Umbrella is a wonderful combination of design elegance and safety innovation that represents New York City’s first major overhaul
ARTIST - Agencie Group CURATOR - Abby Messitte VENUE - 100 Broadway UNVEILED - 2011
in sidewalk shed design in more than 60 years.” – Danielle Grillo, former Executive Director, Community Partnerships, New York City Department of Buildings
“ Sidewalks are places for discovery…. in creating Urban Umbrella we sought to encourage pedestrians to look up, look out, and take unencumbered pleasure in encountering the city.” – Andrés Ulises Cortés, Architect, CEO at Urban Umbrella Enterprises
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CORBIN BUILDING
THE GREATEST CITY ON EARTH
“
ARTIST - ARUP CURATOR - BravinLee programs VENUE - Broadway and John Street UNVEILED - 2011
ARTIST - Linda Zacks CURATOR - Colab Projects VENUE - Nassau Street between John and Fulton streets
UNVEILED - 2012
“As the Metropolitan Transportation Authority creates an exciting new public space at the Fulton Center, the “Public arts projects like the Downtown Alliance’s Re:Construction installations have brought new life and vitality to construction sites throughout Lower Manhattan. With their ingenuity, bold design, and provocative use of public space, they have become a valued part of the New York City landscape and a model for other
Downtown Alliance’s colorful and creative artworks have helped showcase the impressive work being done at the Corbin Building and throughout Lower Manhattan. They have highlighted the accomplishments of rebuilding, and they illustrate just how vibrant the neighborhood has become.”
communities seeking to transform sidewalks and other outdoor areas into canvases for inspirational and innovative art.”
– Joseph J. Lhota, former Chairman and CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority
– Hon. Scott M. Stringer, Manhattan Borough President
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FINDING YOUR WAY “ Art has the ability to engage people, to better their mood and even make them smile. It’s just what is needed amidst the construction chaos of rebuilding Lower Manhattan. Re:Construction positively impacts the moods of countless workers, residents and visitors as they pass through the maze of construction in Lower Manhattan.” – Allan G. Sperling, Senior Counsel, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP
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WARDWALK ARTIST - Omnivore, Popular Architecture and L’Observatoire International
CURATOR - Ayelet Danielle Aldouby, ARTEA Projects
VENUE - MTA Battery Parking Garage UNVEILED - 2011
“ The WardWalk installation acts as a link for the 1,400 pedestrians who walk along the pedestrian pathway at the Battery Parking Garage between Battery Park City and the Financial District and other points east. We are delighted that our partnership with the Alliance for Downtown New York resulted in a wayfinding design that is both beautiful and functional.” - Sandra Bloodworth, Director, MTA Arts for Transit and Urban Design
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BEST PEDESTRIAN ROUTE
“ This isn’t your typical scaffold, however; it’s painted bright orange and white, and the directional arrows, which form a giant spiral, don’t actually lead to any real destination. Designed by GRO Architects, Best Pedestrian
ARTIST - GRO Architects
Route both aspires to and spoofs its title, which
VENUE - John Street at Broadway
also alludes to the adjacent construction site:
UNVEILED - 2007
the MTA’s future Fulton Street transit hub.” - Sara Rafsky, ARTnews (March 2008)
“ We had a lot of fun working on this project with the whole team and enjoyed watching how people would interact with it from our office across the street. Best Pedestrian Route has a sense of humor but also served as the basis for serious research that we were able to apply to our future work.” – Richard Garber and Nicole Robertson, Partners, GRO Architects
“Unique and exemplary in its originality.” – AIA New York Chapter 2008 Design Awards, Project Merit Award Winner
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“It’s important to GSA that our federal buildings be part of the communities in which they are located and,
WAYFINDING
whenever possible, offer attractive public spaces that intergrate with surrounding areas and support neighborhood urban design goals.” - Charlotte Cohen, U.S. General Services Administration, Northeast and Caribbean Region
DESIGNER - Poulin + Morris
“ The Dutch colonial street grid lends Lower Manhattan its charm, but it can also be disorienting. Layering an
VENUES - 50 Trinity, 180 Broadway, Broadway at Dey Street and 26 Federal Hall Plaza
unprecedented amount of construction on top of that certainly compounded the navigational challenges, even for those used to walking our streets. The wayfinding element of the Re:Construction program was a clever and effective way to turn the challenges of construction into an opportunity, helping people better navigate the
UNVEILED - 2011
district and discover all that Lower Manhattan has to offer.” - Nicole LaRusso, Senior Vice President for Planning and Economic Development, Alliance for Downtown New York
26 Federal Plaza
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180 Broadway
Broadway at Dey Street
50 Trinity Place 67
LASTING IMPRESSIONS “ To say that Re:Construction succeeded does not quite do justice to the achievement of those involved. We believe they triumphed—with flying colors—in a bold program that is now emulated citywide, nationally and globally.” – Robert R. Douglass, Chairman, Alliance for Downtown New York
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Alliance for Downtown New York Board of Directors
The Downtown Alliance would like to thank the following individuals, agencies and organizations for their incredible support of the Re:Construction program,
Robert R. Douglass, Chairman
Francis J. Greenburger
Michael A. Skidmore
Anne Patterson
from the seeds of an idea to the launch and through its lifetime, thank you all for bringing a splash of color to Lower Manhattan!
Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP
Time Equities, Inc.
Skidmore Associates, Inc
Hon. Michael R. Bloomberg
Hon. Catherine McVay Hughes
Allan G. Sperling
Lower Manhattan artist & Lower Manhattan resident
Participants
Mayor, City of New York
Community Board 1
Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton LLP
Tom Foley
David J. Arena
Thomas M. Hughes
Hon. Scott M. Stringer
• 37 Warren Street
JP Morgan Chase
Resident Representative
Manhattan Borough President
Assistant Commissioner, Manhattan Construction, NYC DDC
Peter Braus
Richard T. Kennedy
Kent M. Swig
Allan Sperling
• Alexico Properties
Lee & Associates NYC
Cushman & Wakefield, Inc.
SwigEquities LLC
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP
• American International Group, Inc.
Harry Bridgwood
Stephen Lefkowitz
Philippe Visser
New Water Street Corporation
Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP
Port Authority of New York & New Jersey
Staff
• Battery Park City Authority • Borough of Manhattan Community
American International Group, Inc.
Janno Lieber
Department of Small Business Services
Hon. Margaret S. Chin
World Trade Center Properties LLC
Elizabeth H. Berger President William Bernstein
Mark E. Brooks
City Councilmember
Hon. John C. Liu
Betty Cohen
Comptroller, City of New York
Century 21 Department Stores
Rev. Canon Anne Mallonee
John V. Connorton, Jr.
Parish of Trinity Church
Hawkins Delafield & Wood LLP
Ross F. Moskowitz
Charles C. Dorego
Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP
Glenwood Management Corporation
Cherrie Nanninga
K. Thomas Elghanayan
CBRE, Inc.
TF Cornerstone
Dr. Antonio Pérez
David. V. Fowler
Borough of Manhattan Community College/CUNY
The Bank of New York Mellon
Rachelle Friedman J&R Music and Computer World
Stephen J. Friedman Pace University
Timur Galen Goldman, Sachs & Co.
Robert J. Giuffra, Jr. Sullivan & Cromwell
Stanley E. Grayson 70
Acknowledgments
M.R. Beal & Company
Commissioner Robert W. Walsh Elizabeth H. Berger President
Advisory Committee John DeLibero former Project Manager Communications for Lower Manhattan Development Corporation
Dmitri Dits Department of Buildings
Judy Duffy Former Assistant Director Office of the
Chief Operating Officer
Andrew Breslau
• Jason Chiusano, Graphic Design
• SL Green Realty Corp.
• Claire Johnson
• Time Equities, Inc.
• Caitlin Hurd
• Jeff Simmons, Anat Gerstein, Inc.
• Trinity Real Estate
• Maki Kaoru
• Whitney Barrat, Public Arts
• U.S. General Services Administration,
• Larry Lederman
Northeast and Caribbean Region
• Tatyana Murray
Artists
• Richard Pasquarelli
• McSam Hotel Group, LLC
• Agencie Group
• Metropolitan Transportation Authority /
• ARUP (Andrés Ulises Cortés)
Senior Vice President for Planning and Economic Development
Joseph Timpone
Brookfield Office Properties Corporation
Director, Operations Planning
William C. Rudin
Frank Hrubes
Bathsheba Parker Graphic Designer
Frank J. Sciame
DOT - Director of Construction Coordination
F.J. Sciame Construction Company Inc.
Kelly Pajeck
Alan M. Scott
DCA’s Percent for Art Program
Connie Chung Jesse Goldman
New York City Transit
• Rita MacDonald
• W New York - Downtown
• Raina Accardi
Nicole LaRusso
DOT - Assistant Commissioner, Urban Design and Art
Deutsche Bank
• Poulin + Morris
• GRO Architects
• Lower Manhattan Cultural Council
General Counsel
• Maya Barkai
• Mateo Pinto
• Michele Brody
• Abby Messitte
• Fareen Butt
• ADA Arts Consulting and Artea
• New York City Department of Transportation • New York City Economic Development
• Duggal Visual Solutions
• Linda Zacks
Consultants
& Recreation
• Architectural Testing, Inc.
• Amy Wilson
• Nina Bovasso
• New York City Department of Parks
Contributing Vendors
• Corinne Ulmann
• New York City Department of Design
Environmental Protection
Consultant
• Tattfoo Tan
• Ellen Berkenblit
& Construction
Consultant
• Lordy Rodriguez
• New York City Department of Buildings
• New York City Department of
(Lisa Shimamura and Kurt Langer)
• Carlos J. Gomez de Llarena
Jersey
• Malin Abrahamsson
Improvement District
Umbrella) • Colab Projects Group, Inc.
• Silverstein Properties
• JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Planning Analyst
Rudin Management Company, Inc.
• Goldman, Sachs & Co.
• Greg Lamarche
Michael Ketring
Wendy Feuer
Mitchell E. Rudin
• City University of New York
• Port Authority of New York & New
• Hudson Square Connection Business
Executive Vice President of Government & Community Relations
Harry’s Steak and Cafe
College
• Rachel Hayes • Karen Ingram
Vice President for Communications and Marketing
Senior Vice President of Operations
Peter Poulakakos
• 55 Liberty Owners Corporation
Corporation • Pace University
• Young-Hwan Choi
Projects (Ayelet Danielle Aldouby
• Carolina Cisneros
and Elinor Milchan)
Re:Construction is made possible by a grant from the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, which is funded through Community Development
• Kinga Czerska
• BravinLee programs
Block Grants from the U.S.
• Katherine Daniels
(Karen Bravin)
Department of Housing and
• Helen Dennis
• Caliper Studio, Inc.
• Dzine
(Caliper Urban
Urban Development. 71
Photo Credits Marla Maritzer................................................................................................. Cover, 48,49
Raina Accardi.................................................................................................................... 27
Nicole Kolinsky................................................................................................................... 2
Richard Pasquarelli.............................................................................................. 28, 29, 53
Eliza Cerdeiros.................................................................................................................... 9
Katie Armstrong................................................................................................................ 33
Maya Barkai.............................................................................................................11, 14, 15
Lauren van Haaften-Schick.......................................................................................34, 35
Kelly Jeffrey (Lee Ranaldo Album Cover) ...................................................................... 11
Malin Abrahamsson.......................................................................................................... 38
Felicia Tunnah..............................................................................................................12, 13
Abby Messitte.................................................................................................................... 39
Guillermo Stuart................................................................................................................13
John Stuart (www.johnstuartstudio.com) ............................................ 40, 41, 54, 66, 67
ARTEA Projects (www.ArteaProjects.com).............................................................. 16, 30
Caitlin Hurd.................................................................................................................42, 43
Goldman, Sachs & Co........................................................................................................17
Kurt Langer....................................................................................................................... 50
Jason Chiusano.................................................................................... 18, 19, 56. 57, 60, 61
Carolina Cisneros...............................................................................................................51
Laura Londin Photography.............................................................................................. 19
Helen Dennis..................................................................................................................... 52
Colab Projects.....................................................................................22, 25, 44, 45, 58, 59
Richard Pasquarelli........................................................................................................... 53
Maki Kaoru........................................................................................................................ 23
Anthony Cortez.................................................................................................................60
BravinLee programs.......................................................................................24, 31, 32, 55
Connie Chung................................................................................................. 64, 65, 68, 69
Jeff Simmons..................................................................................................................... 26
72
Copyright Š2013 Alliance for Downtown New York, Published in 2013 by Alliance for Downtown New York, Inc., New York All rights reserved. No part of the contents of this book may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher.