Foley Square

 An enduring message, in the administrative heart of New York City  

 Marking the 80th anniversary of its completion and the upcoming phased reopening of libraries across New York City, Brooklyn Public Library (BPL)&rsquo;s landmark Central Branch on Grand Army Plaza unveiled a whole new look following an expansive, two-year interior refresh headed by Toshiko Mori. The $38 million renovations yielded a range of new and improved community resources available to BPL patrons, made possible by opening up a considerable amount of administrative space within, that was previously inaccessible to the public. 

Brooklyn Public Library

named after a Brooklyn librarian turned Congressman 

 Transferred title to Parks on March 19, 1930.  Before this acquisition, it was known simply as the "Courthouse Plot" because of its proximity to several State and Federal court buildings.  

 The City acquired this site, located between Lafayette, Worth, and Centre Streets within what is now called Foley Square, on August 5, 1913  

An enduring message, in the administrative heart of New York City 

Landscape architecture firm Field Operations was selected as the planning and design consultant. Later that year in September, Mayor Bloomberg announced the kickoff of the master planning process

The full build–out will continue in phases for the next 30 years, with its unusual combination of natural and engineered beauty, including creeks, wetlands, expansive meadows and spectacular vistas. &nbsp;Projects that provide direct connection to the communities surrounding the park were given the highest priority, and the park is being built outside in.

The City of New York established the Fresh Kills Landfill. “Fresh Kills” comes from the Middle Dutch word ‘kille’, meaning “riverbed” or “water channel.” &nbsp;The area originally comprised primarily of tidal creeks and coastal marsh

In 1996, a state law was passed requiring that the landfill cease accepting solid waste by December 31, 2001. &nbsp;By 1997, two of the four mounds were closed and covered with a thick, impermeable cap; and the landfill received its last barge of garbage on March 22, 2001. After the World Trade Center attack of September 11, 2001, the materials from the World Trade Center site were brought to the West Mound during a temporary suspension of the closure.

NASA’s CHAPEA mission completed a 378-day Mars simulation with a four-person crew in Houston, aiming to study human resilience in a confined, Mars-like environment. The participants grew their own food, faced simulated challenges like communication delays, and wore pressurized suits for “Marswalks.” This first mission, a part of NASA's effort to address key challenges for a real Mars mission, focused on the physiological, psychological, and logistical requirements for long-term space habitation. Further simulations are scheduled for 2025 and 2026 to continue this research.

Johnson Space Center

&nbsp;ICON, is a 3D printing technology company

The Catalog Room was restored starting in 1983. Ten million catalog cards, many of which were tattered, were replaced with photocopies that had been created over six years at a cost of $3.3 million. The room was subsequently renamed for Bill Blass, the fashion designer, who gave $10 million to the New York Public Library in 1994.One of New York City`s most iconic locations, the majestic Rose Main Reading Room measures 78 feet by 297 feet—roughly the length of two city blocks—with 52-foot-tall ceilings displaying murals of vibrant skies and billowing clouds. This breathtaking Beaux-Arts space weaves Old World architectural elegance with modern technology. Here, patrons can request material from the Milstein Stacks, the Library`s environmentally optimal storage facility located underneath Bryant Park with a capacity of over 4 million items. Visitors can also browse and read the thousands of reference volumes lining the shelves.After its renovation in 2016, The room now boasts a ceiling mural inspired by the three in the Rose Main Reading Room, opening the interior to a trompe l`oeil Parnassian sky.

Bill Menking and Diana Darling founded the first new architecture publication in the U.S. in a generation that has expanded to the most comprehensive design news publication with over 1,000,00 digital readers and Façades+ a national conference.&nbsp;

After 30 years, extraordinary architects Thom Mayne and Robin Donaldson return to a pivotal site in their careers. 2.5 years to design, 2.5 years to build, the Crawford House in Montecito, California emerged as a house of ideas and one of the world’s most widely studied pieces of residential architecture. The House takes us on an exploration of the creative process, art's impact on architecture, and reveals insights into these renowned architects' pursuit of the singular Idea.

Theater 1 - Village East by Angelika

Theater 3 - Village East by Angelika 

The House: 6 Points of Departure

Order here

This Is Not A House details the construction of one of the most unique homes in the world. A teamwork of art and technology - a chance to play. The architect is Robin Donaldson - Donaldson+Partners.

Theater 1 - Village East by Angelika 

This Is Not A House

Merger: Bricks + Mortar + PixelsArchitecture should always be thoughtful and risk-taking. New York has been at the forefront of making policy in the realm of public-private partnerships, which makes different kinds of public spaces possible and gives them a creative edge. -Charles Renfro

Justin Davidson, is the author of Magnetic City: A Walking Companion to New York, which paints a portrait of the city through its architecture, history, literature, art, music, and urbanism. He began his journalism career there working for the Associated Press. He has been the architecture and classical music critic at New York magazine since 2007, writing about a broad range of urban, civic, and design issues. He has also written for The New Yorker, W, Travel &amp; Leisure, The Los Angeles Times, Slate, and Salon. Before that, he spent twelve years as classical music critic at Newsday, where he also wrote about architecture and other cultural issues, ranging from gun ownership to television. He won a Pulitzer Prize for criticism in 2002. He also won an American Society of Newspaper Editors Criticism Award.&nbsp; A native of Rome, Davidson graduated from Harvard and later earned a doctoral degree in music composition at Columbia. His TED Talk has been viewed more than 1.5 million times. He has appeared frequently on WNYC and NPR and written for many publications, including The New Yorker, Smithsonian, New York Times Book Review, Slate, Los Angeles Times, Departures, Condé Nast Traveler, W, Pursuits, and Travel and Leisure. Davidson has taught at Columbia University, the School of Visual Arts, and the Goldring Arts Journalism Program of Syracuse University. He lives on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

Justin Davidson

Charles Renfro is a Partner at Diller Scofidio + Renfro. He received the Texas Medal of the Arts Award (2015). He was named a National Academy Academician (2014). He was honored as a Rice University Distinguished Alumnus (2012). He is President of the Board at Storefront for Art and Architecture in New York.He joined Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R) in 1997 and became a partner in 2004. He has led the design for a number of projects including the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston and Zaryadye Park, a 35-acre park adjacent to the Kremlin in Moscow. He has also led a number of academic projects at Stanford University, UC Berkeley, and Brown University, and is currently designing new facilities for Columbia University, the University of Chicago, and the University of Toronto. He is also currently leading the renovation of Dallas's Kalita Humphreys Theater - Frank Lloyd Wright's only built free-standing theater. Abroad, Charles is leading the design of the Museum of Image and Sound in Rio de Janeiro, and the Tianjin Juilliard School in China. He is a faculty member of the School of Visual Arts.

Charles Renfro

Columbia Business School- Henry R. Kravis Hall and David Geffen Hall

Columbia Business School—The Henry R. Kravis Hall and David Geffen Hall are eleven stories high and 492,000 square feet (total between the two buildings). The building has a “layer-cake” design visible on its facade. It is a space for students, faculty, and alumni, featuring educational and office spaces. The classrooms are oriented to provide views of the city and the landscape. The building also has features such as a public park and retail spaces.

AIA New York | Center for Architecture

Cocktails & Conversations: Charles Renfro and Justin Davidson

Toby Cecchini is a writer and bartender based in New York City. He has written about food, wine, and spirits for GQ, Saveur, Food and Wine, and, for over 10 years for The New York Times with his column “Case Study.” His first book, Cosmopolitan: A Bartender’s Life, was published in 2003. He began bartending at the Odeon in 1987, where he created the internationally- recognized version of the Cosmopolitan cocktail. He followed with stints in several bars including Passerby, which he owned until 2008. In 2013, he reopened the shuttered Long Island Bar in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, and is currently at work on his second bar in downtown Brooklyn.

The Architect's Newspaper

IMAGE ALBUMS

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Black Lives Matter Mural at Foley Square ALBUM

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Brooklyn Public Library, Central Branch ALBUM

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Foley Square ALBUM

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Freshkills Park ALBUM

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Mars Dune Alpha ALBUM

The Architect's Newspaper

IMAGE ALBUMS

1Black Lives Matter Mural at Foley Square ALBUM

2Brooklyn Public Library, Central Branch ALBUM

3Foley Square ALBUM

4Freshkills Park ALBUM

5Mars Dune Alpha ALBUM

1
Black Lives Matter Mural at Foley Square ALBUM

2
Brooklyn Public Library, Central Branch ALBUM

3
Foley Square ALBUM

4
Freshkills Park ALBUM

5
Mars Dune Alpha ALBUM