CITATION Small Projects, Less than 5,000 Square Feet
MTA NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT
FAN PLANT 7204 LONG ISLAND CITY, NEW YORK GANNETT FLEMING ENGINEERS AND ARCHITECTS
Photo Credit: © John Muggenborg
the designers sought to create a formal dialogue between the two structures.
A forward-thinking retrofit of Metropolitan Transportation Authority New York City Transit Fan Plant 7204, in Long Island City, provided resiliency of this essential infrastructure facility so it could withstand a major storm, but it also achieved so much more. The innovative design solution combined structural logic with contextual sensitivity, creating an aesthetically appealing structure integrated seamlessly into the surrounding community. Its perforated metal exterior cladding was specifically chosen to express a light, airy structure. Keen attention to the cladding details, allowing views through the corners, lends an ethereal quality to the building. The granite base demarcates the flood-proof wall that surrounds the base. Given the close proximity of the facility’s two buildings, the fan plant and transformer building,
“Notable for bringing design to an infrastructure project. Tremendous impact on resilience for citizens of New York.” Jury Comment
Fan plants are critical components of the New York City subway system. Located at the end of tunnels running underneath the East River, they provide passive ventilation for the subway, enabling the piston action of moving trains to pull fresh air down into the tunnels below. In addition, in the event of a fire in the tunnels, the plants’ massive fans serve to draw smoke out, giving people time to escape. FP 7204 also serves as an emergency egress for the public, providing an escape route from the tunnels during an emergency event. Due to the critical nature of the facility, New York City Transit could not shut down FP 7204 for an extended time during the retrofit project, or demolish it to build a replacement. Even with these constraints, creative design enabled the successful delivery of significant plant upgrades that achieved all resiliency requirements with minimal disruption to subway operations while greatly enhancing the quality of life for local neighborhood residents. PAGE | 17
