Based on the concept of re-assembling the existing condition of the AT&T long lines building located in Tribeca, lower Manhattan, this project managed to achieve the novel way of reusing historical sites adaptively.
Instead of discarding the existing material as non-degradable landfill, our strategy is to adopt the granite facade panels, concrete floor slabs, terracotta bricks, concrete blocks, and especially the abundant copper wire buried inside the walls. With all those adequate amounts of material, we are able to design this renovation project with minimum input of new materials.
These existing materials are preserved and re-assembled into a new form of facade panels. Inside the unit of each bay, steel frames are installed on existing superstructures to connect the variety of materials with different depth and thickness. By arranging them into several types of panel modules, we manage to adopt the granite, concrete, terracotta and copper into a myriad material facade. To contrast the thickness and heaviness of the panels over residential units, the public programs are covered with thin glass curtain walls to show off the lively activities supported by diverse public facilities.
The circulation of public and residential are separate spatially but connected visually. Both sectors spread vertically, reminiscent of intertwined DNA chains. They connect through a special corridor that leads residents to public programs at each floor, also similar to bonds that link DNA chains.
Taking advantage of the existing 17-foot ceiling heights, residential units are designed as apartments with sloped roofs that allow the natural light to come through the top into deep floor plates. Located between the residential units and public programs are co-living spaces that accommodate a communal kitchen, multimedia living space, reading lounge, and social laundry. These sub-programs aim to improve the quality of life and encourage interaction.
