Applications are now being accepted for “Gateways to Chinatown,” a new program to create a “symbolic and functional landmark” to a high profile intersection in Chinatown. The initiative, announced by the city’s Department of Transportation yesterday, will also bring temporary installations to several public spaces on the Lower East Side.
Here’s more from the project website:
The project will provide a new marker for Chinatown, Little Italy, and the surrounding neighborhoods in Lower Manhattan to engender pride of place, foster connectivity and cultural and social identity, and stimulate economic development. Straddling art and architecture, symbolism and function, the new structure and public space aims to become a vibrant place of exchange at the center of one of New York City’s most dynamic and historically-rich areas. This iconic new structure and public space will be located on a triangular traffic island at a key pedestrian node bounded by Canal Street, Baxter Street and Walker Street. Gateways to Chinatown challenges design teams to reimagine the use and layout of this space, create a multifaceted meeting place and information center, and manage the transformative project from design through construction and installation.
During the past decade, the site as well as six other locations in the neighborhood have been identified as important passageways to Chinatown. According to planners:
Each has its own physical characteristics and uses, and is influenced by the communities it joins and populations it brings into Chinatown. Together, these seven gateways make up an important network of public spaces, transportation connections, and thresholds between neighborhoods. In parallel with the design and implementation process for the Canal Street Triangle’s transformation, NYC DOT will develop temporary installations to activate the other locations.
The gateway project was initiated by the Chinatown Partnership. For more information and to apply, click here. Applications are due to June 19.
