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October 8, 2008

The French Win Grand Army Plaza People's Prize

GAP-1001-1.jpg
GAP-1008-2.jpgApparently the judges for Reinventing Grand Army Plaza and the vast majority of Brooklynites have the same taste: both gave four French designers the first place nod for their vision entitled Canopy. What's it all about? The plan involves a "series of pedestrian land bridges that terrace over Flatbush Avenue, which becomes the main north/south vehicle route." In the rendering above, the park-goers are actually strolling above the roadway. The winners got $1,000, or about 722 Euros, for the People's Choice Award and another $5,000 for the Jury Award. (The judges ended up awarded two first prizes, the other going to a proposal called Please Wake Me Up; the rendering is on the jump.)
Grand Army Plaza Designs Unveiled [Brownstoner]

wake-me-up-GAP.jpg




Posted by lisa at 9:18 AM | Comments (18)
Categories: Streets

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Comments

This one probably would have one the Muggers Choice Award too.

Posted by: plgdude at October 8, 2008 9:26 AM

Ridiculous fantasy.
And typically French in that they treat our historic places and monuments as totally expendable trash. To them, America has no history. Could you imagine if they proposed a scheme like this for one of the "etoiles" in Paris?
Why would the NYC Art Commission and the Landmarks Commission agree to completely disfigure historic Grand Army Plaza in this way?

Posted by: sam at October 8, 2008 9:41 AM

Nice renderings. I wish we did get those Autumn reds. This is gonna be hot.

Posted by: DOW8000SP800 at October 8, 2008 9:46 AM

not averse to it, dont see it as trashing the monuments or a muggers paradise (how is prospect park any less dangerous?), just need a damn pedestrian bridge to make it desireably accesible.

Posted by: goldie at October 8, 2008 9:49 AM

What's with the swoosh in the lower drawing? Is this park going to be brought to us courtesy of the good folks at Nike?

Posted by: Biff Champion at October 8, 2008 9:50 AM

Agree with Sam. If they want to make traffic flow a priority, then take the covered roadway concept to its logical conclusion - do a tunnel, and leave the plaza alone.

Posted by: NorthHeights at October 8, 2008 9:51 AM

Pierre, any comment???

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at October 8, 2008 9:53 AM

Ze Frenchies wiss zeir outrrrageous ac-cents are cordially invited to see how "land bridges" work out over the Prospect Expressway in Kensington/Windsor Terrace, among other notable exemplars. "Mugger's Choice" indeed! However, ze entire contest was, how you say, une fantaisie? "Le visioning," n'est-ce pas? Ze real plans, they come in, oh, 10 years, or wiz your funny problemes economiques Americains, maybe ney-vair! But for now, we have ze posters to look at, tres "heep," no?

Posted by: Brenda from Flatbush at October 8, 2008 9:55 AM

I don't even see the arch in this scheme. But I do like the Vermont style foliage. I hope they left some space for a rodeo. We Americans love our rodeos.

Posted by: sam at October 8, 2008 10:02 AM

Where's the Shake Shack setting up shop?

Posted by: Biff Champion at October 8, 2008 10:07 AM

north hts, a below grade tunnel for the cars would be next to impossible since numerous existing subway tubes go directly underneath GAP there is only one spot where creating a true tunnel for cars would be feasible.

Posted by: bowl of dicks at October 8, 2008 10:10 AM

Tres humoristique BfF!

I see the arch, but I find it odd that the planting area (is that what that is?) sort of bisects it, am I reading that correctly? I like the sort of rounded-triangle shapes.

Then it looks like Union Street will no longer have access to the other side of the circle? Only PPW? Am I reading this correctly?

The Urban Stripes presentation is interesting, too. Maybe a little more in line with what I was anticipating.

Posted by: cobblehiller at October 8, 2008 10:18 AM

PBR sam. Nothing as entertaining on ESPN!!!

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at October 8, 2008 10:18 AM

Grand Army Plaza, so full of history and meaning ...

Switch to the 1 Hour Energy Drink, Sam.

Too bad this design didn't come from the Italians, I would have loved to hear your rant against their dismissive imperialism.

Posted by: LilBitOfLuck at October 8, 2008 10:27 AM


I like the place the way it is. The non-stop car traffic (very much akin to the scene around the Arc de Triomphe, by the way) keeps the pikers out of the fountain area when I'm walking my dog. The paving stones need re-conditioning, though.

Posted by: East New York at October 8, 2008 10:29 AM

I actually think it could have been more "heep" if they made it look more like a post-industrial wasteland, which would be symbolic of the decadence and pointlessness of American Bourgeoise existence and would at the same time transform the area into a mini-landfill that would some day become the highest point in Brooklyn, symbolizing.. -oh never mind.

Posted by: sam at October 8, 2008 10:34 AM

If the planners had done their homework, they'd have known that this is the second generation of the plaza,after it was torn up for the (imsr) 2/3 lines, so as bofd says, can't do it.

That said, "history"? What history? GAP has been compared to a Siberia in 1890, and is still that way now. Anything would be an improvement, but this was one of the most ridiculously impractical of the schemes. Others were much better and reasonable.

Posted by: cmu at October 8, 2008 11:33 AM

I'm not a fan of the assymetry of the design. I think connection to the park is the primary way to make GAP work better, and this plan would do that, but, again, why so assymetrical? I feel like it would diminish the lovely Grand Union Army arch and the fountain if the visual cues don't center on those two points.

Posted by: 1842 at October 8, 2008 2:03 PM

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