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The new 79th Street Boat Basin dockhouse celebrates New York City's maritime legacy on the Upper West Side. The project replaces an existing dockhouse, which was extensively damaged by Superstorm Sandy and did not meet flood zone and accessibility requirements.
After years of close collaboration with project stakeholders, the new climate-resilient, ADA-accessible 3,800 square-foot building will provide support facilities for the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation's 24/7 operation of the longstanding marina. The marina serves boaters and thousands of people annually through educational and community programs that provide safe public access to the waterfront.
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Elevated above the Hudson River, the dockhouse is a threshold to the water that references the maritime character of the site through its articulation and materials. The dockhouse anchors the fifteen-acre renewal and expansion of the 79th Street Boat Basin, the most heavily subscribed public marina in New York City. From boaters to participants in its robust educational and community programming, the marina has enabled safe public access of the waterfront for thousands of people annually since 1937.
A beacon on the river, the new building announces its civic identity while thoughtfully responding to its 360-degree exposure. The dockhouse's square plan is rotated 45 degrees to the shoreline to maximize views of the water and landmarks from Riverside Park.
The design of the dockhouse maximizes climate resiliency and minimizes the ecological impact of the project. The building rises above the dock on a grid of nine columns to meet FEMA requirements for flood zone construction. The building's compact over-water footprint limits disruption to aquatic life, as required by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
With durable, low-maintenance materials and high-performance mechanical systems, the building is targeting LEED-Silver certification.
The dockhouse's civic identity bridges architecture and infrastructure. The design references the structural trusses of bridges and gangways in the harbor, as well as the triangular forms of boat rigging, masts, and sails. Diagonal structural steel columns along the façade provide lateral bracing and enable the chamfered corners that minimize the building's mass. Large windows bring daylight into interior spaces and allow views into and out of the building.
Durable exterior materials ensure the longevity of this purposeful waterfront building, while creating a dynamic façade with varied depth and texture that changes appearance with daylight and from different vantage points. Clad in a bead blasted, low-luster stainless steel, the building takes on the qualities and color of the surrounding water and sky. Clear anodized aluminum grilles provide shading and delineate the triangular forms of the facades. A gray frit pattern on corner windows prevents bird-strikes. At dock-level, concrete columns and wood decking relate to the materials of marina piers. Expanded metal ceiling panels on the building's underside reflect flickering light from the water.
ARO joined the team as design architect in 2023 to create a beautiful, purposeful building that would address community concerns and numerous public and regulatory stakeholders. ARO designed a distinctive building shaped by the ecological, urban, and historical context of the maritime site.
Architecture Research Office (ARO) is the New York City firm led by Stephen Cassell, Kim Yao, and Adam Yarinsky. ARO is a diverse collective united by a collaborative process, commitment to accountable action, and social and environmental responsibility. Research gives the firm's work purpose and intention. Their architecture unites beauty and form with strategy and intelligence. The office designs spaces that inspire people, further institutional missions, and advance equity and resilience. This philosophy has earned the firm the 2020 AIA Architecture Firm Award, the AIA New York State Firm of the Year Award, and the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award for Architecture. Published in October 2024, Architecture. Research. Office. presents ARO's diverse body of work, its ethos, and the people behind its projects.
