Constructing a new space in Brooklyn Bridge Park – at the Fulton Ferry Landing Pier – is back on the agenda. Last year the project – under the auspices of Starling Architecture – was presented to the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) but not accepted due to fears that it would block downtown Manhattan as well as the surrounding waterfront.
“My question is, what is different now?” asked Moshe Victor Keinig, a retired architect who spends a lot of time in New York. “Much as this new construction would give, I’m concerned about what it would take away. Once you start diminishing the importance of historic landmarks such as these by accepting this kind of construction, you bring the entire stature of New York into question,” Keinig argued.
There has however, been one significant difference since the original proposal was put on the table back in April 2019. If approved, the structure will be able to preserve the current pier sightlines by using slimmer supports and eradicate the 11-foot-tall hydraulic window walls and roof system.
“I guess if Starling Architecture is able to commit to these changes then we won’t have the problem of the obstruction. I also like the idea of the new white, yellow and green color scheme and the retractable fabric awning and central bar,” Moshe Victor Keinig conceded. “It is so important for all cities to be able to maintain their historic presence and much of this is architecture,” he added.
