Downtown Alliance, MTA Unveil Large-Scale Rendering of Things to Come at Corbin Building
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and the Alliance for Downtown New York today announced the installation of a large-scale rendering of things to come on the façade of the Corbin Building.
“As we make progress on the restoration of the Corbin Building and the building of the Fulton Street Transit Center, we’re pleased to work with the Alliance for Downtown New York to help mitigate the impacts of construction by installing public art where possible. The Corbin Building wrap shows what the finished Corbin Building will look like and improves the aesthetics of the construction site,” said Michael Horodniceanu, President of MTA Capital Construction.
“This is a very distinctive project, following the European tradition of large-scale architectural renderings that show pedestrians what the future holds,” said Elizabeth H. Berger, President of the Downtown Alliance. “We are glad that this project could be part of our Re:Construction program, which provides an opportunity for government, property owners, business people, artists and curators to work together.”
The Corbin project is home to the 27th Re:Construction installation. Launched in 2007, Re:Construction is produced by the Downtown Alliance, and funded by a $1.5 million grant from the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation. About half of the 26 earlier temporary installations are still up for viewing in the area.
The MTA is committed to preserving the historic Corbin Building and is restoring it as part of the Fulton Street Transit Center project. The Corbin Building was built in 1889 and is listed on the State and National Register of Historic Places. The ground floor and basement level of the Corbin Building will be used as an entry and passageway to the Fulton Street Transit Center, providing an opportunity for tens of thousands of subway customers to enjoy this historic resource on a daily basis.
The mesh wrap is a standard construction netting, measuring 112 by 33 feet, that will have a printed image of the finished Corbin Building while MTACC restores its façade, windows, roof, ground-floor entrances, storefronts and interior.
Previous Re:Construction projects have been installed at:
• Broadway and John Street: Corbin Building Architectural Rendering*
• Canal and Varick Streets, LentSpace: half awake, half asleep*
• 55 Liberty Street: Monk Parakeets with Mourning Doves and Red Wings*
• Nassau and Fulton Streets: Sour Gum Tree: Seasonal Glory*
• Hubert Street between Washington and Hudson Street: Aquatic Dream
• Grand and Lafayette streets: Downtown Dogs*
• 50 West Street: Life, Actually*
• Hudson Street between Franklin Street and Ericsson Place: Star Sun Burst*
• W Hotel New York – Downtown: Hours of the Day
• Chambers Street: Secret Gardens*
• Fiterman Hall: Restore the View*
• Titanic Park, Fulton and Pearl streets: Water Movements
• East River Waterfront Esplanade, South Street: Fence Embroidery with Embellishment*
• 99 Church Street: Walking Men 99*
• 56 Leonard Street: Rendering Leonard
• West Thames Park, Battery Park City: It Takes Time to Turn a Space Around
• Hudson River Park: Botanizing on the Asphalt*
• 99 Washington Street: Flying Animals*
• 50 Trinity Place: Poster Project at 50 Trinity
• Louise Nevelson Plaza, Maiden Lane and William Street: Rainbow Conversation
• AIG building, 175 Water Street: Green Gate, Summer
• Street reconstruction site at Houston and Broadway: Houston Fence
• Goldman Sachs headquarters, 200 West Street: Untitled
• Fulton Street Transit Center, John Street at Broadway: Best Pedestrian Route
• Fulton Street reconstruction site, between Broadway and Nassau: Fulton Fence
• Fulton Street Transit Center, Broadway between Ann and John streets:
Concrete Jungle
* Currently up for viewing
The Downtown Alliance additionally is establishing signage to help visitors to Lower Manhattan get where they are going. In the last several weeks, such wayfinding – featuring Downtown Alliance maps – has been installed at 26 Federal Plaza and 50 Trinity Place. The Downtown Alliance previously has installed wayfinding at Broadway and Dey Street, and Broadway and Fulton Street.
Re:Construction is just one of the ways the Downtown Alliance is promoting the area. Recently, the non-profit issued the State of Lower Manhattan 2011 report – www.downtownny.com/solm – to provide a comprehensive review of the district’s remarkable economic and demographic changes, leasing, development, and market trends over the last decade.