Shipping containers recycled to make an entertainment park

In a bit to create an environment friendly entertainment space for the public, the Hudson River Park Trust is set to transform the West side’s old shipping docks that was once used to bring in cargo into the city. Several piers of the project are already completed and the park board recently chose the Inhabitat-fav LOT-EK’s design for Pier 57, located outside Chelsea. The architecture firm proposed a waterfront attraction to be constructed from refurbished shipping containers, and decked out with a rooftop for creating an entertainment space to watch movies, shop and an underwater educational and exhibition space.

The proposed structure will include about 170,000 square feet for work spaces, which would ideally be rented out to local artisans, and a public market for selling their wares. LOT-EK (and developer YoungWoo & Associates) brought inUrban Space Management to help manage their proposed lively and eclectic mix of renters. Below the water levels, the architects propose an additional 90,000-square-foot “Underwater Discovery Center” including the exhibition and education spaces. The project is huge and a perfect mix of recreational and cultural spaces. With everything arranged in re-purposed shipping containers, this project is proof that environmentally and socially conscious design can be mainstream as well.
[Inhabitat]