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Merit Award - 2021 American Institute of Architects New York (AIA NY) Design Awards
The project investigates the use of heavy timber in adaptive re-use of 19th century historic steel infrastructure. The Perch is an architectural proposition for the Brooklyn Bridge that addresses the practical challenges that cities face in augmenting 19th century vehicle bridges with pedestrian capacity while increasing longevity through renewable materials. The design for the Brooklyn Bridge separates the commuter and tourist paths by grafting a new pedestrian level for the slowest users and allows the fastest users to express through the existing lower pathway. The project is a systematic approach for a modular unit with an adaptable logic for connections, protection, flexing and reduced erection time while creating a graceful meandering expansion. Adapting from the lower 19th century steel bridge the project creates an upper 21st century heavy timber walkway. The Perch ties together the old and the new capitalizing on the inherent flexibility of wood. The upper level weaves through the iconic towers and splays out at the center to create a new focal and resting point. The structure lightly grips the existing steel truss in a tight interval of new struts adhering to the historic rhythm of small repeating members. These struts have flexible connections to allow the new timber structure to move with the historic bridge. The Perch is a thin and gentle form, lacing together new points of view, making the augmented public space a place of renewed discovery and surprise. AIANY.org/perch
Structural Consultant: Knippers Helbig