allen st malls proposals

Allen Street Malls Memory and Remembrance New Design High School Summer 2008

In our third session of summer school, a group of 20 students were in the process of completing a project-based credit recovery class entitled, Allen Street Malls Memory and Remembrance. In partnership with Hester Street Collaborative and Open Road, the course asked students to complete an architectural design for the Allen Street Malls, which are currently under renovation.

The students interviewed residents of the Lower East side to receive fresh ideas for the malls. Feedback from the residents suggested they would like to see areas created for relaxation, performances, vendors, bike lanes, dog parks, and athletic spaces, as well as others. The students have spent the last 2 weeks visiting memorial sites and creating one of their own “memorial and remembrance� designs for the malls, which run from Houston Street all the way to the East River. Students visited Open Road Park and analyzed the living memorial project created by a new design graduate, Sharif James.

Students participated in educational workshops. The workshops consisted of English, Design and U.S history. In the history workshops, students researched a wide variety of events that occurred in the L.E.S. in order to come up with concepts for their memorial designs. In the English workshops, students improved their abilities to write odes and created written pieces for their design proposals. In the Design workshops the students did a fair amount of hands on work. They applied temporary stencil designs to the pavement of the malls, using chalk. They also sketched 3 different perspective drawings of their mall renovations including: an aerial view, side view and a detailed rendering.

Students will be presenting their ideas to the Parks Department, local architects and community organizers. This project would not have been possible without the generous help and support of Paula Hewitt from Open Road and Anne Frederick of Hester Street collaborative.

OPEN ROAD

Allen Street Malls Proposal: The New World Memorial by: Ahlem Dakhlaoui This design is meant to honor the immigrant’s journey to New York. The New York waterfront was a gateway to the city for immigrants from all around the world. Without immigration, the United States wouldn’t be what it is today. The mood created by my memorial will be one of liberation and freedom. The grassy area of the memorial is meant to evoke the feeling of independence felt by the immigrants as they passed through the entrance to the city.

The memorial itself will include a grassy field creating a spacious environment for the community to take advantage of, an escape from people’s homes. The trees in my design will symbolize togetherness, and they will be scattered around the field of the mall providing shade in the area. The gates along the sides of the malls, which will be covered in ivy, will create a sense of privacy and represent the reason many came to New York in the first place: independence and individual rights. Also, the rocks situated around the pond symbolize the narrow pathway into New York ports. They also provide seating for those who wish to have a quiet moment at the “waterfront.” The space will be open to everyone, symbolizing the melting pot of the new world.. It can be used for various activities, such as picnics, relaxation, community classes and lectures.

Aerial View/ Topographic drawing

Front view: The New World

Sideview grass wall

Allen Street Mall Proposal: Lower East Side Children’s Memorial by: Christian Fonseca

My design is meant to honor the children of the Lower East Side. During the late 1800’s young children had no place for activities. Therefore, many children resorted to other less productive activities. The mood of my environment is happy, playful and fun for young children but also peaceful for adults and seniors. They can sit, watch their children, read a book or just relax. The monument itself is small, but the area is large enough for young children to play in. The structure looks like a ball, similar to a child’s play toy. On the top there will be a spout where water will come from. The water will fall on children’s heads and pool into the fountain base below. The monument will be in the center of the fountain. The edge of the fountain’s base will be sculpted in such a way that adults can comfortably sit, dangle their feet over the edge and watch their children play. The ball on top of the fountain will be made of copper. The change in the metal’s color over time will mirror the change in the space and community over time. The base of the fountain, where children play, will be made of stone.

This design will make the neighborhood peaceful and environmentally soothing. Therefore, it will be a place for children to entertain themselves rather then be home all day or in the streets.

Allen Street Mall Proposal: Lower East Side Children’s Memorial by: Christian Fonseca

My design is meant to honor the children of the Lower East Side. During the late 1800’s young children had no place for activities. Therefore, many children resorted to other less productive activities. The mood of my environment is happy, playful and fun for young children but also peaceful for adults and seniors. They can sit, watch their children, read a book or just relax. The monument itself is small, but the area is large enough for young children to play in. The structure looks like a ball, similar to a child’s play toy. On the top there will be a spout where water will come from. The water will fall on children’s heads and pool into the fountain base below. The monument will be in the center of the fountain. The edge of the fountain’s base will be sculpted in such a way that adults can comfortably sit, dangle their feet over the edge and watch their children play. The ball on top of the fountain will be made of copper. The change in the metal’s color over time will mirror the change in the space and community over time. The base of the fountain, where children play, will be made of stone.

This design will make the neighborhood peaceful and environmentally soothing. Therefore, it will be a place for children to entertain themselves rather then be home all day or in the streets.

Jacob Riis Memorial Park Proposal by: Daniel Wyatt

My design is meant to memorialize Jacob Riis, who was a photographer and author. He wrote stories about Skippy and told of life in the American slums, in the 1800’s. Riis also founded Seward Park. The mood of my design will be lively and will be meant for both night and day. There will be dirt paths that wind through a grassy field and lead to an area with 6 grey stone grills and benches. Trash cans will be placed in front of the grills to help ensure the cleanliness of the park. The grills will show Jacob Riis’ face and the right side will feature a small bio. Oak trees, surrounded by yellow flowers, will be placed between the grills to enhance the mood during the day time, and nearby yellow lamps will shine green light for a lively feeling during night. The grass in this area will be bright green with imprints of Riis’ face. There will be a rose bush wall dividing the street and the mall. The space is intended for all ages and can be a multipurpose center. It’s a hangout for kids and adults who want to just sit down in the grass and watch cars go by. Communities could hold minor events and people could have small celebrations as if it’s their own backyard.

Allen Street Mall Proposal: 20th Century War Memorial By: Eshaine Rossi

grass

path

bird’s eye view

close-up

memorial

3-D

I am memorializing the casualties of the wars of the 20th century. I chose to memorialize this because war is not only an issue in Iraq—it has been devastating societies around the world since early human civilization. My design is intended to evoke a tranquil, calm, peaceful feeling. I would like people to look at my memorial, sit in the malls, and meditate upon the lives lost because of political warfare. I would like the design to be simple, yet elegant and stylish.

My memorial is a marble tombstone placed at the head of a water well. The water would symbolize tears from families affected by 20th century warfare. Engraved on the tomb would be the number of casualties from wars of the 20th Century along with the words, “We, the citizens of this country, do not initiate wars with other nations. We don’t even know the people we are fighting, yet we are sent to kill and be killed overseas. Politics leads to war, and war only leads to more wars.

Too many families world wide are affected by war everyday.

When will it stop?” The overall memorial is intended to make people think about our painful, murderous past.

The design of the overall space should complement the memorial and come together to make a beautiful and artistic piece. I would like to have benches, tables, flowers, and plants placed around the memorial and well. Fences will surround the mall to block out the traffic, and a walkway will lead from the entrance to the tombstone and well. Marble and stone tiles will replace the crumbling concrete that currently paves the area.

Bringing Unity back to the LES

by Evelyn Johnson My memorial is meant to honor the entire LES history because I want to bring the whole community together.

My proposal will allow everyone-- young and old, new and established, Chinese, Latino, black, and white-- a place to gather, which would relieve tension and violence in the neighborhood. This would be a place where everyone can gather for events, no matter what type of event it may be. For example, birthday parties, cultural events, parades and much more could occur in this space.

Overall this will be an environment that makes people welcome, safe, and happy. The memorial I have designed has a fountain that is also a sprinkler for children to play in. It has eight benches, four garbage cans, two water fountains, two food vendors, and one bathroom with four stalls (one handicap three regular). All of these pieces will be placed surrounding the memorial which is a sprinkler in the shape of a melting pot made out of copper. On the pot will be a written brief history of the LES. The memorial will be in the center of the plaza and the additional pieces will be placed surrounding the fountain. They will form a circle, which will symbolize the togetherness and unity of the community. This design will allow LES residents to feel happy, proud, welcome, and safe. The brief written history will say: The Fountain that has been placed here is a symbol of the unity and togetherness of the Lower East Side. The Lower East Side has many names. For example, it is commonly referred to as Loisaida by the Latinos in the neighborhood. The LES is a melting pot for diversity and culture. It has traditionally been a working class neighborhood with many immigrant families of Irish, German, Jewish, and Italian decent. In more recent decades, there has also been an influx of Latino, Black and Caucasian residents. This memorial will bring everyone together as the neighborhood always has.

L.E.S. Memorial by: Jerry Martin This proposal is meant to honor Jacob Riis because of what he did to help kids around the L.E.S.. Jacob Riis was poor. He lived on the streets when he was young and was unable to find work. In 1873 he got a job writing news. The following year he got a job working for the South Brooklyn News. In 1877 he became a police reporter for the New York Tribune and documented life in the slums of the Lower East Side. Since Jacob Riis knew how it was to live in the L.E.S, he used his communications to help spread awareness. His goal was to build neighborhood parks so that children of the Lower East Side could play. The type of environment my design is meant to create is a joyful and thankful one. Hopefully, my design will educate the community members about Riis’s contributions and provide a space where people can experience the joys of fresh air and community togetherness. My memorial is a pentagon block shape that is made of black limestone and gold lettering. There will be water on the sides to show peacefulness. There will also be donation boxes so there will be a renewable source of income for the community to use in the upkeep of the space. I envision Lower East Siders who live in public housing using this space to educate themselves about who has impacted the neighborhood for the better.

Allen Street Malls Proposal: Chinese immigrant’s triumph in L.E.S by: Jessica Segarra My design is meant to memorialize the Chinese immigrants who fought to be employed in Chinatown. In 1974, the tallest building in Chinatown was being built and the foremen refused to hire Chinese construction workers. An organization of college students formed to educate Chinese people of their rights and persuaded them to fight for their jobs.

Eventually the Chinese construction workers were hired to work on the building. The design is meant to create a relaxed and peaceful environment. It is supposed to allow visitors to come and reach a heightened level of comfort outside of their own homes. It is a resting place with a peaceful atmosphere.

The Chinese immigrant’s fight to be granted jobs required a massive effort from many people. After their goal was accomplished, their bodies and hearts were filled with relief. My hope is that the quiet rest that can be achieved on the mall evokes the respite felt by the immigrant workers. The frame made of aluminum, glass and plants, surrounding the malls, blocks out noise allowing visitors to relax peacefully without the distraction of traffic. The comfortable seating, made of inflatable cushion, lines the fencing of the malls, making it easier to relax. The water fountains made of stone, located at each end of the mall create an attraction for visitors and also a buffer zone that blocks out traffic noise as well. The fountains serve as a base for the memorial sculpture. The sculpture is meant to attract passersby and inform them about an important moment in history. The space is intended for people of all ages, primarily residents’ of the L.E.S. I envision community members using this space as an escape from a busy schedule in a busy city.

Allen Street Malls Proposal: Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire Memorial by: Joanny Rivera

3-D View

This design is meant to memorialize the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. I’d like to memorialize the people who were lost in the tragic fire that occurred on March 25, 1911. The type of environment my design is meant to create is one of remembrance and self awareness. It is a place where people can think, relax, and even cry if they want to. The memorial, located in the middle of a mall, features a big iron door with many metal chains wrapped around it. The chains around the door represent the fact that the doors were locked because the managers of the factory didn’t want union workers to come in. Stenciled on the floor of the small pool in front of the door is an image of a door with an open lock and broken chains. This represents the tragedy that the factory workers became free through death. In addition to the memorial, the design includes benches, trash cans, and more trees and plants. The benches, which are to be placed along the gates that surround the mall, are for relaxation and serious thinking. Trash cans are placed throughout to support responsibility, by encouraging people to pick up after themselves and keep the planet green. The trees and plants, located in between the benches, would add to the sense of relaxation and the calm of nature. This is important in memorializing the factory fire because the calm environment created by the trees represents the serious reflection that had to take place after the event. The space is intended for anyone. I envision people using the space as a place to relax, learn, and think.

Detailed View

L.E.S. History and Growth with Time and Knowledge by: Johnathan De Jesus

center piece knowledge is key sculpture/tree

the outer wall that will enclose the statue and show the history of the L.E.S

This memorial is meant to honor Jacob Riis and all the immigrants that made this neighborhood what it is today.

The project was created to memorialize the fact that Jacob Riis was the man who started the educational alliance for immigrants. I decided to design this in tribute to our multicultural neighborhood and to recognize how we as people have grown with the knowledge we have gained. The center piece of the memorial will be a sculpture of a key with a brain on the top. This sculpture will be made out of living material called a willow structure or living wall. Inside the sculpture will be a growing tree, which will represent the idea that knowledge is the key to growth. This sculpture will be protected by several glass walls that will show the history of the L.E.S through photographs and text. The walls will be physically connected back to the tree with wire in order to symbolize how Jacob Riis and the educational alliance have helped with the community’s growth. This memorial is going to have a calm and relaxed feeling to it. The environment around it will be enclosed with glass walls so the noise of the street traffic doesn’t bother anyone. It’s also going to be a place were people can go to feel enlightened by the historic information that surrounds them. birds eye veiw on design

Fountain of Rebirth 

fountain layout plan

Center piece of rebirth fountain This monument is meant to honor the cycle of life and death and the idea that with every death there is also new life. The fountain itself will be made of black marble to reflect your image back to you, it will also be a possibility for people to have names of loved ones added on to the marble top. On the floors it will have fake grass that will stay green all year long with at least three to four benches that can hold up to 5 people each. This monument will also have a plank that will be in dedication to the Chinese people since it will be place in front of a Chinese church so I want honor those men and women that worked hard to build our railroads.

This monument will be represented In two different paths one path is the path of light to a better life and the water that washes our sorrow and pain away.

The mood of the monument is suppose to put off is a relieving and kind of loosening of grief feeling. The environment will be open to public eyes but have a half wall that for some privacy. It will be meant to captivate all eyes by touching the hearts of those who need it most.

Birds eye view and seating arangement

This space will be for anyone who has lost someone close and wants to feel a sense of relive and kind of letting go of the pain and washing there tears away and finding the light as a source of direction. I envision people coming to wash there tears away and being positively charged by the light.

Cherry Street Mall Slocum Memorial by: Julio Lopez

My memorial is meant to honor the people who lost their lives in the Slocum boat fire of 1904 because it was New York City’s deadliest disaster until September 11, 2001. The memorial is meant to create a moment of silence to reflect on all the people who died. My memorial is a fountain and is placed on the Cherry street mall. It is made out of cement and has smooth edges. Inside there is a metal statue in the shape of the Slocum. It has a plaque on the outside, which will tell the story of the doomed ship. There is a river birch tree in the middle of the fountain, because it can be submerged in water and still grow. There will be rubber tubes in the shape of branches embedded in the tree with water coming out of them.

There are will be benches along the mall’s gates and grass all over, except for a brick walkway leading to the fountain. This memorial is for anyone to come and take a look and learn about a tragic event that not a lot of people know about.

THEY HAD NO CHOICE by: julissa Cintron

Birds Eye View

Detail Front Angle This proposal is meant to honor and memorialize the day of The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire on March 25,1911 in Greenwich Village NYC, and those 146 young women, men, and children who burned or jumped to their death, due to the terrible safety hazards of the factory which left them with no choice.

The mood of the environment that I want to create is something peaceful and relaxing that will have people very interested in finding out reasons why this tragedy occurred. It will be a place where people can come pay their respects and learn about their own community.

The physical aspects of my design will create a more peaceful feeling. However the design itself will evoke a more powerful feeling as if one were viewing the tragedy in real time, witnessing the burning flames and women jumping to their death. The monument will be placed in the center of the mall, surrounded by a few benches and green areas, such as flower beds and trees, which will inspire the more calm mood. The design itself is a clothing line that will be hung on the light posts and trees in a zig zag formation. There will be many shirts hung up on them. There will also be projectors placed on the top of the trees which will project the reflection of fire onto the shirts during the late afternoon and night hours. This will give it the effect as if it were burning and you were caught in the fire.

The space is intended for anyone. Tourists and residents may all appreciate it, but the design can only be understood by adults that may already know of this tragedy. This can also be a beneficial activity for children because it gives them space to interact with this monument and also learn.

Pagoda Bridge by: Julissa Ortiz This design will celebrate Chinese culture in the Lower East Side. During the late 1800’s many different immigrants, including Chinese immigrants, migrated from their countries to New York in search of a better life. China Town, formally known as Little Germany, was the destination for these people. Today, many Chinese people reside in the Lower East Side and pass through strips of land known as the Allen St. malls. These malls are empty, unattractive, and very dangerous to cross. To show the Chinese culture through these malls would improve the environment for the people. My design for the Allen St. malls would create a peaceful, quiet, and subtle mood. With an environment like this, seniors and adults could relax and relieve themselves of stress. A long bridge connecting two malls would provide safety for people to cross. I would like this bridge to be made out of black marble. On the top of the bridge there would be a small pagoda. This pagoda would be made out of wood. I would paint the top of the pagoda red with a gold flower design for Chinese cultural purposes. The bottom half would be painted white. Cherry blossom trees would enrich my design because they help create a peaceful mood, block out the noise from traffic, and again bring out the Chinese culture. The red and white paint, the golden floral design, and the cherry blossom trees are all traditional components of Chinese art and design. Young couples, seniors, and adults are the types of people that I want to attract with my design. They would have a place of peace and solitude. With all of these features my pagoda would be the center of China Town’s attention.

Hardships Memorial By:Kashawn Henry Allen Street Malls Proposal: Hardships Memorial I’m memorializing Skippy. Skippy was a story written by Jacob Riis to expose the living conditions in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. The character Skippy is a metaphor for children living in the Lower East Side and the struggles they experienced. Skippy didn’t have anyone to turn to as a child nor did he have anywhere to go play.

When people enter the mall, I want them to feel sympathy when they see Skippy’s memorial because his life on the Lower East Side was lonely and impoverished. Skippy’s memorial would be in the middle of the mall, and surrounding it there is going to be a maze made out of hedges that are 6’5. I chose to make it a maze because it will represent the struggle that Skippy went through in his life. Just as a maze is hard to navigate, so was Skippy’s life. Because of his bad childhood, Skippy had to deal with hardships such as rejection and poverty.

Skippy’s memorial in the Allen Street Malls is a space meant for everyone. I envision people having a good time in the maze. It will be a location of recreation and enjoyment.

Kids of the L.E.S.

By Miriam Aguilar My design is meant to honor Skippy, a boy who was written about by Jacob Riis. Riis, a journalist and photographer, documented the lives of poor children in the Lower East Side during the late 1800s. Skippy was one such child. He represented the hardships that young people had to face during this period. Skippy is the subject of my design because his struggles were similar to those that young people from the Lower East Side face today. The environment I want my design to have is one that is happy and peaceful, one where little kids and teens can feel free and safe and be able to enjoy the life that Skippy didn’t have.

My design includes a reflection pool which is located in the middle of the mall. At the button of the pool is a quote from Jacob Riis, “Was there anybody anywhere who cared about boys anyhow?” It best reflects the thought and remembrance behind the memorial. The stairs that lead to the pool entrance have the story of Skippy written on them so that everyone who walks or sits around the pool can read his story at least once. If people don’t want to get wet, they can play in the sand that is behind the pool. In the sand there are soft rocks that people can sit on. The rocks that are surrounding the pool are painted with the alphabet and numbers one though ten so that little kids can learn as they sit. Around the pool and the sand there are trash cans to help maintain a clean space. There are also several trees and benches around the pool and by the sand to offer additional seating and shade.

This space is intended for kids who need their own park and for families who need a fun, clean space to play. This is a place where neighbors can come together and meet. Hopefully, because the park is close to people’s homes, they will use it often and see it as an extension of their homes.

3D View

Close Up View

Birds Eye View

Allen Street Mall Proposal: Jacob Riis Memorial Skate Park by: Niko Grafals This design, intended for the Allen Street Skate Park, memorializes Jacob Riis, a journalist and photographer from the late 1800s, because he was one of the only people at that time who captured the day to day reality of impoverished youth in the Lower East Side. His hope was that his words and images would inspire change in poor communities. The design is supposed to offer a space that is fun and free for children. Riis advocated for parks for children, and now we have the opportunity to create open spaces for the young people of the Lower East Side. It would be a fitting tribute to redesign the skate park in his memory.

My design includes an empty pool with an illusion in it. It is painted as if the pool is full of water with a shark fin and a sun rising to make it look like an ocean view. The pool in the skate park would be a great idea because an empty pool is a perfect place to skate. The pool is in the top left corner of the park from the entrance, because there it won’t be in the way of the other obstacles and the skaters won’t collide. In addition to the pool there will be nine ramps and a half pipe. It is important to include a half pipe in the skate park because the only other half pipe is on the west side of Manhattan, less accessible for the skaters of the Lower East Side. I chose to make the ramps movable because the park is for kids and they should be able to put them the way they want them even if it takes a lot of them to move one object. It makes the space their own. If they feel responsible for the space, they are most likely to take care of the space. There will also be three grind boards witch will be movable for the children. Lastly there will be newsstands, garbage cans, and water fountains all around the park. These will make the space more functional and practical. One aspect of the current design that should stay is the seating. It is in the perfect place for viewing skaters. This vantage point could also encourage kids to hold tournaments that could eventually raise funds for the park maintenance.

Outside the entrance to the park there would be a statue of Jacob Riis with a plaque explaining why the skate park is a perfect way to memorialize him.

Allen Street Mall Proposal: Memorial to the Slocum

by Olukemi Wallace My design is intended to celebrate what would have been the last stop on the Slocum, a ship that was built in 1891 and was made for small trips around New York.

The beach would have been the getaway for the people of Little Germany. The beach that they would be going to was Long Island Beach. It was summer time and the heat was unbearable for Little Germany in the Lower East Side. The local church decided to rent the Slocum for the people of Little Germany to go to the beach and get away from the heat.

My memorial to the Slocum will include a woman and a child holding hands. They are standing side-by-side putting their hands in the water. The statue of two German people represents what a day at the beach would be like for the German people on that day. They are standing by the water putting their hands in to see if the water is cold.

My hope is that through this memorial people of the Lower East Side and all other boroughs will see a happy day filled with emotion; to see what the German people on the Slocum would have seen if they had made it to the beach.

The people of Little Germany didn’t make it to the beach because fate had other plans for the Slocum. The Slocum caught on fire because someone dropped a match. Most people on the Slocum could not swim and most passengers were women and children.

The two statues for my memorial will be made out of marble, with a path filled with water where the figures are dipping their hands in. Water will be at their feet and the water will come from a shallow pool filled with water and rocks where visitors can sit or lay in the sun. Round benches also made out of marble are situated around the water’s edge so that people can put their feet in the water just like at the beach. Trees will surround the benches to add shade to the people that sit or lay in the mall so the sun will not affect their stay or gave them sunburn. Rose beds will be located on either end of the mall. My goal is that the roses smell and beauty will attract people to the mall.

My goal for the mall is for New Yorkers to have an area to relax in a tranquil environment. In addition, I hope New Yorkers will take away a better understanding of the historical importance of the Slocum and the effect it had on the Lower East Side.

Manhattan Bridge Skate Park Proposal: Unified Skate Grounds By:Will Mendez My Design is meant to honor various cultures of the Lower East Side. I want to celebrate these cultures because their influences have made this community the rich place it is today. I am trying to renovate the skate park located on Allen Street in the Lower East Side. This design is meant to create a relaxing environment. It should be a place where you can meet up with friends and have a good time. Since I’m honoring the different ethnicities around the Lower East Side, the mood doesn’t have to be happy or sad. It should reflect the mood of the community members using the space. There will be a basketball court in the vacant lot available in the park. It is a sport people of many races and ages can enjoy. I also added ramps and rails to the skate park. I added a pattern of spine ramps, and a half pipe in the middle of the space. There will also be a fun box in the park, an element that has been highly requested by skaters in the community. Trees will surround the area, but will be out of the way. They can be used for shade, as a buffer between the park and the busy traffic, and as a filter to clean the air and support a healthy environment.

My proposal is a request for a more modern skate park, and a basketball court for people who participate in either sport or for those community members who just enjoy watching others. There will be bleachers on the right side of the court, and benches at each end. People who are awaiting their turn to play can use the bleachers as they enjoy the game, and observers can take advantage of the benches for comfortable and long-term seating.