DXA Studio Wins Grand Prize in New Urban Pathways Competition
New York – DXA studio, a New York based architecture and design firm known for a diverse range of projects primarily in Manhattan and Brooklyn, was awarded a Grand Prize for their design of an urban pathway spanning 9th Avenue and connecting the new Moynihan Train Hall at West 31st Street to the High Line and Hudson Yards at 30th Street. The design was an entry to Metals In Construction Magazine’s 2019 Design Challenge: Create a New Urban Pathway.
“This design competition offered DXA Studio the opportunity to push the boundaries of contemporary steel construction to create a passage way between the historic repurposed Moynihan Train Hall and Hudson Yards,” said DXA Studio Partner Jordan Rogove. “Every year our studio picks a competition with a challenging program, something we think will help us collectively grow as architects and designers, and this one had it all! In the end, we’re so excited about our entry and were delighted that such an accomplished jury and Metals in Construction magazine were excited about it too.”
The jury included: Jack Robbins, AIA, of FXCollaborative, Benjamin Prosky, Assoc. AIA, Executive Director of the AIA New York Chapter, Claire Weisz, FAIA, of WXY, Enrica Oliva, M.Sc. Struct. Eng, of Werner Sobek New York and Paul Bauer, AIA, of Dattner Architects.
Drawing inspiration from the architectural icons it connects, DXA’s winning design references the historic interlaced steel plate work of the High Line and the intricate steel structure of the original inner concourse of the 1910 Penn Station. The structural steel fabrication also harkens back to the 19th century with the structural framing concept of the Statue of Liberty. Today the curved structural framing can be executed with a combination of innovative techniques, such as water jet cut steel and pre-fabrication assembly, to create a beautifully bending pedestrian path over the heavily trafficked avenue.
“The proposed structure consists of transverse ribs shaped according to the cross-section of the pedestrian pathway and spaced approximately every 10 feet at the longer linear paths. The resulting formation makes an interlaced and dynamic public space for this rapidly emerging area of the city” said DXA Studio Partner, Wayne Norbeck. In collaboration with Silman, DXA was able to assess the structural loads and stresses that took place over the largest span of the Viaduct over 9th Avenue, validating the structural plausibility of this innovative use of steel construction, and ultimately expressing those forces in the design of the system.
About DXA studio
DXA studio is an award-winning design practice that provides a rare balance of expertly crafted design with technical proficiency. Believing in the transformative power of architecture to influence the lives of all that engage it, DXA focuses on authenticity, sustainability and innovation in all their projects. Established in 2011, DXA’s expertise spans the full spectrum of design services and project categories including multi-family and single family residential, commercial, institutional, hotel and event design. By capitalizing on the site, program and unique opportunities of each project, DXA produces creative solutions and distinctive design work that outperforms expectations and maximizes.
Construction has been completed on 280 St. Marks in Brooklyn, an 80,000 SF multi-family residential building, and 7 Harrison in TriBeCa. Currently under construction, DXA’s work includes the 300,000 SF HAP 8 condo and rental towers in Chelsea, a multi-phase development in Astoria, the Mt. Pleasant Church Conversion, a 75,000 SF condo building on the Upper West Side, and a new headquarters for a prominent tech company. Additionally, the studio is developing a 144-unit residence in Harlem, an art focused campus for Galapagos in Detroit, a renovation of a historic Brooklyn brewery, and four ground up, single-family townhouses for private clients ranging from 5,000 to 15,000 SF. Among the most noteworthy projects currently being designed, the vertical commercial enlargement of the landmarked 831 Broadway will pay homage to its former resident artist, Willem de Kooning, and his fellow Abstract-Expressionist painters. Geared toward efficient New York apartments, DXA studio has designed and guided the fabrication of a modern furniture line. DXA also has a specific design and planning experience in sustainable and health-focused non-profit projects including a community in Zambia, malaria prevention through specialized housing in Namibia, and housing in St. Marc, Haiti through an award-winning international design competition and collaborations with the Clinton Health Access Initiative and The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
At DXA studio, client projects begin with an open exchange of ideas and full architect-client collaboration. The client’s program and desires, along with the complexities and context of the site are used to create a conceptual framework by which design of distinctive identity, clarity, and ingenuity is created.
For more information about DXA studio, please visit http://www.dxastudio.com/
