NYRP EDGEucation Pavilion
February 6, 2014 - March 6, 2014
In July 2013, New York Restoration Project (NYRP) launched the EDGEucation Pavilion Design Competition, inviting eight emerging New York City architecture firms to create designs for a storm-resilient education and recreation center in Sherman Creek Park. The winning design by Brooklyn-based firm Bade Stageberg Cox will be featured in the exhibit, including architectural drawings and a scale model, along with submissions by Desai/Chia Architecture, HOLLER Architecture, KNE studio, Lang Architecture, Taylor and Miller Architecture and Design, Urban Data + Design, and Work AC.
The EDGEucation Pavilion will reside in Sherman Creek Park, whose 15 acres stretch along the Harlem River in northern Manhattan from 163rd Street up to 201st Street. The park features a cherry tree esplanade, a magnificent boathouse designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects, a children's garden, hiking and bike trails, and a unique constellation of seven discrete habitats that make the park especially suited to environmental education activities. In addition to expanded education programs, the pavilion will be available for use by community groups, and the boat storage facility will enable increased local participation in Harlem River oriented activities.
The project completes seventeen years of transforming a neglected stretch of the Harlem River waterfront from a hazardous dumping ground into a stunning urban park. By some estimates, there were more than 1,000 rowers using the Harlem River at the start of the 20th century, but by 1978 the last boathouse burned down, and all that was left on this site were broken sections of dock, rotting piles, and heaps of rubbish. To date, NYRP has invested approximately $18 million creating Sherman Creek Park, which represents the largest private investment in a New York City public park situated entirely within a low-income neighborhood; more than a quarter of the population residing in immediate proximity live below the poverty level.
The EDGEucation Pavilion represents a new vision for the Harlem River, connecting the community to its waterfront and fostering environmental and social resilience.
Exhibition Design: Claudia Brandenburg, Language Arts
Competition Advisor: Susanna Sirefman, Dovetail Design Strategists