Winning designs in architecture require creativity, a focus on function and a dash of the unexpected. In the case of one winning proposal for the 2021 NYCxDESIGN Awards, hosted by Interior Design, it also means an improved pedestrian and vehicle transportation option for millions of people.
Announced May 17, 2021, DXA studio, an award-winning architecture and design firm based in Manhattan, had a proposal that was recognized as the best in the On the Boards: Commercial category of the competition. The winning design is a reimagination of the Brooklyn Bridge that aims to better serve the greater needs of the area. DXA studio’s design is dubbed The Great Bridge: Path to Equilibrium, an appropriate name considering that the innovative design “creates an experience that is more accessible, safe, democratic, and enjoyable for all who visit the iconic structure,” the firm said in a press release.
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The final design serves multiple purposes, primarily to provide access for cars, pedestrians and bicyclists in a safe and efficient manner. The plan includes multiple lanes on a lower deck for cars and trucks as well as emergency vehicles and the return of trolleys.
“We are honored to receive a NYCxDesign Award for our reimagining of the Brooklyn Bridge,” said Wayne Norbeck, co-founder and partner of DXA studio. “Our vision was to return the span to the type of public space that was originally intended for the millions of pedestrians who cross it every year.”
An upper deck offers a landscaped promenade where commuters and visitors can cross the bridge at a slower pace, lingering while they walk the expanse.
“DXA studio’s version envisions a future that elevates people over automobiles and reclaims land entangled by roads and ramps for civic use in the form of parks, museums, local commerce, recreation and housing, as well as makes the bridge more accessible to adjacent communities,” the press release stated.
The design competition entry was a collaboration between DXA studio, Patrick Cullina Horticultural Design + Consulting, Philiip Habib & Associates and Thornton Tomasetti. NYCxDESIGN awards highlight projects in every area of design. Winning and notable designs for architecture and interiors will be published in Interior Design magazine.
Images via DXA studio
