The design goals for the facades of the Delancey & Essex St. Garage include the development of a lightweight, naturally ventilated, visually dynamic facade that contributes to the rich texture of the changing neighborhood. The proposed solution is a three dimensional, porous facade composed of 1.25” diameter cables that are woven as if on a loom. 2011 NYC Public Design Commission Design Excellence Award 2013 AIA NYC Design Merit Award 2018 AIA NY Architecture Citation Award
The design goals for the facades of the Delancey & Essex St. Garage include the development of a lightweight, naturally ventilated, visually dynamic facade that contributes to the rich texture of the changing neighborhood. The proposed solution is a three dimensional, porous facade composed of 1.25” diameter cables that are woven as if on a loom. This concept of weaving is loosely associated with the history of the Lower East Side and the early garment industry there. The pattern of the cable design is inspired by the work of various abstract artists including Optical Art works such as Francois Morellet’s “Grillage” drawings that are composed of a system of simple grids overlaid in a way that creates new larger scale patterns. The facade solution was produced by offsetting two layers of stainless steel-jacketed composite cables, which when viewed together, create moire patterns that seemingly move across the face of the building as the viewer’s position changes by walking or driving up the street. To achieve this effect, the exterior plane of cables, which stretch from the second to sixth floors, was shaped so that it folds out as much as 2 feet from the face of the back layer of cables, which are in a flat plane. The cables will be attached by stainless steel o-rings sleeved around the cable and connected to steel tube “combs.” The cables will have integral end fittings that will have turnbuckles for tightening and adjustability. The termination details are simple and unobtrusive.
Awards and Publications: 2018 AIANY Architecture Citation Award 2017 Delancey and Essex Parking Garage / Michielli + Wyetzner Architects Arch Daily November 24, 2017 2017 SARA NY Design Excellence Award 2017 Metropolis Magazine May 2017 City Designer’s Picks for New York 2013 We Build the City, NYC’s Design + Construction Excellence Program. ORO Editions 2013 NYC Chapter AIA Projects Merit Award 2011 NYC Public Design Commission Excellence in Design Award 2011 2011 Oculus,”From NIMBY to YIMBY”, Winter 2011 2011 Architectural Record,”Investments in Public Architecture Pay Off for the City”, September 2011 2011 Real Estate Journal, “Michielli + Wyetzner Architects to begin $4 million cable façade renovation, August 9, 2011 2011 New York Observer, “Finally! A Pretty Parking Garage”, June 29, 2011