Seventeen entries have been selected as finalists in the “Beyond the Centerline” competition, which is seeking ideas for how to “re-envision and enliven the traditional traffic medians of the Park Avenue commercial district between 46th and 57th Streets."
Organized by development company Fisher Brothers, the ideas competition asked architects to submit their “most ambitious and creative visions unencumbered by zoning code, cost, weight limit, or other restrictions.”
“While Park Avenue, with its median plantings and periodic art installations, remains one of the world’s most iconic commercial boulevards, I have long believed that we can and must be far more imaginative in how we encounter and utilize such a precious urban commodity,” said Fisher Brothers Partner Winston Fisher about the competition prompt.
“We are overwhelmed by the response – with nearly 150 submissions received from artists, architects, landscape architects, urban planners, and students – and blown away by the level of thought, creativity and attention to detail that went into the bold designs and sophisticated renderings,” Fisher continued. “Our hope is that this contest and these proposals will spark a real conversation about what can be done to activate Park Avenue’s centerline for a new generation of New Yorkers.”
The top 17 designs will on display in the public arcade of Park Avenue Plaza from March 5th through March 9th. The $25,000 grand prize and $5,000 popular vote winners will be announced on March 13th.
Check out the finalists below:
F005-1 "Botanical Circus" / Terrain Work
C028-5 "Elevated Walkway" / Jonathan Elmore
E021-4 "Aquarium" / Eric Spencer
E004-1 "Mini Golf" / Michelle Schrank
B017-4 "Elevated Walkways, Carnival Ride" / Daniel Elmore
B030-1 "Yoga Studio" / AMLGM ArchitectureDesign
F005-4 "Floating Garden" / Terrain Work
E019-3 "Double Your Median" / Azzurra Cox, Philip Syvertsen, and Sara Zewde
B010-1 "Living Walls" / Matthew Scarlett
B043-3 "30-ft Stalks" / Wilkinson Architects
C014-3 "Subterranean" / Studio Ames
B039-5 "Mimosa Pudica" / Marin Architects
C010-2 "Art Installation" / Maison
B009-1 "Subterranean Arcade" / Gaffney-Nguyen Architect
B018-3 "Wandering River with Kayaks" / Local Architects
B025-4 "Mountain" / ATYPE Architecture
B018-5 "Skate" / Local Architects
C010-4 "Baskteball" / Maison
C019-1 "Forest" / Harrison Green
B036-4 "Parks" / JBA Collective
See the full boards for each finalist proposal, here.