History
During the early 1900's the piers of the Westside were charged with activity connected to maritime use. Today, many of these piers stand as remnants of the past as do many of the adjacent warehouses. Part of the site lies dormant and disconnected, with no strong links into the city. One of the possible beginnings to reactivating it lies in stitching it into the Metropolitan Transit system.
Strategy
The availability of the elevated rail track located between 34th St. & 12th St. which is no longer in use lays the foundation for connections at the metropolitan scale. My strategy for the activation of the site begins with the formation of a transportation loop using the elevated rail and connecting it into the subway stations at 42nd Street and 14th Street. Setting up this loop increases public access to the waterfront and also becomes a spine for the future development of residential infill in vacant lots.
Probes
Two of the five stops on the loop include the Jacob Javits Center and the 14St at West Street. The probe at 14St becomes a zone of convergence and interchange. Different speeds, including those of the pedestrian, the cyclist(& rollerblader) and the subway interact within a space and also link with the existing recreational use along the downtown water edge setting up a local connection. This space is supported by a mix of night time activity including discos, pubs and theater which creates a twenty-four hour zone.
The stop at the Javits Center will cater to the three million people who visit it annually and also the tourist activity of Sightseeing Cruises, the heliport, the Circle Line and the Air and Space Museum providing them with subway access. Thus the probe at Javits Center begins to work at a metropolitan as well as a regional scale. The probe also investigates a connection over West St. It brings people to the waters edge supported by retail and recreation spaces( including the roof of Pier 76 ).