DAISY AMES

raphael vinoly spoke at the great hall in the cooper union building in new york city last thursday, february 18th. a project that i was particularly interested in was his plans for the 11.5 acre domino sugar refinery property along the brooklyn bank of the east river facing manhattan. (image via nytimes)

i have passed this late 19th century industrial factory dozens of times on my way to brooklyn. i’ve enjoyed it because it seems oddly sacred, despite its dilapidation. it reminds me of at time when things were built for their need, rather than as a symbol of achievement. it wears the armor of having been a booming factory once, as well as battle wounds of a struggling prospect.

vinoly has designed a multi-use residential and retail complex comprised of four clusters of towers which will declare the refinery’s site. however, despite its predictable future, vinoly plans include a pedestrian bridge from the site to and from manhattan. i appreciate his effort to link williamsburg and midtown manhattan, which shows strong social awareness of not only the distance between the two neighborhoods, but the need for the gap to be, oh gosh, well, bridged. (rendering raphael vinoly architects)