Exhibition of the four finalist projects on view from February 18, 2005 at Van Alen Institute. Opening Hours M-F from 12-6 PM.

These proposals are the original work submitted by the four finalist teams for the Civic Exchange competition. They are the work of four highly creative and multi-disciplinary teams. This work underscores the critical role of innovative design thinking in the regeneration of downtown.

The competition encouraged designers to go “beyond the kiosk” in envisioning an interactive public installation for those who live, work, and visit Lower Manhattan. Responding to a challenging brief, the proposals explore the boundaries between existing and new technologies. They argue for both a physical and a virtual exchange of information. They propose an array of interactive environments that tackle the challenges of creating a physical installation that can serve multiple audiences.

The Civic Exchange proposals:

• Provide a platform for information and generate interaction

• Stimulate place-based activities

• Enhance the appearance, perception, and experience of public space

Project Team

Van Alen Institute
Raymond W. Gastil
Jonathan Cohen-Litant Competition Manager/Exhibition Coordinator

The Architectural League
Rosalie Genevro Executive Director

The Battery Park City Authority
Stephanie Gelb Vice President for Planning and Design
Peter McCourt Assistant Director for Planning and Design

The Civic Exchange Jury
Janet Abrams Director, Design Institute, University of Minnesota
Kadambari Baxi Partner, Martin/Baxi Architects and Principal, imageMachine.

Stephanie Gelb Vice President for Planning and Design, Battery Park City Authority

Joyce Lee AIA Chief Architect, NYC Office of Management and Budget
John Maeda Co-Director of the SIMPLICITY Consortium at MIT's Media Lab

Michael Rock Partner, 2x4, a multidisciplinary design studio

Tucker Viemeister Industrial Designer, President, Springtime-USA

VAI Team
Katherine Romero
Zoë Ryan
Marcus Woollen
Ari Duraku

Exhibition Design
Inez Suen

This project was supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts

Additional funding received from
the Stephen A. and Diana L. Goldberg Foundation

It is also made possible with the participation of the Hugh L. Carey Battery Park City Authority

ANTENNA DESIGN SLECTED AS WINNER
OF CIVIC EXCHANGE COMPETITION
Press Release

Van Alen Institute: Projects in Public Architecture and The Architectural League of New York, in cooperation with the Hugh L. Carey Battery Park City Authority announce that New York-based Antenna Design has been chosen as the winner of the Civic Exchange Competition for an information installation in Lower Manhattan. A distinguished panel of jurors selected Antenna Design’s proposal from a shortlist
of four finalist projects.

While noting the extraordinary caliber and quality of all four finalist teams and projects, juror Stephanie Gelb, Vice President for planning and design at the Battery Park City Authority stated that the Antenna Design proposal was singled out as “brilliant, and accomplishes everything that we need it to do".

Competition background
The extraordinary circumstances of the 9/11 attacks on Lower Manhattan and its current renewal, demonstrated the need for a structured system of information that is accessible to a broad public. The Civic Exchange competition communicates the value of information and exchange in urban regeneration.

Civic groups, cultural and educational institutions, private and public organizations, as well as governmental entities, have engaged in numerous initiatives for informing the public about immediate conditions and future improvements downtown. These include the City of New York's lowermanhattan.info public information campaign, the Port Authority's fence around the former World Trade Center site displaying historical images, the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation’s exhibit of alternative designs for the WTC site at the World Financial Center’s Winter Garden, seven WiFi hotspots developed by the Downtown Alliance and its partners, and Wall Street Rising's Downtown Information Center.

There still is, however, a critical need to give a physical presence to information exchange, using contemporary technology that will be both informative and functional, and represent Lower Manhattan as a community that is at the forefront of technological and cultural activity.

In June 2004, the Project Team distributed a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI). Local, national, and international teams comprised of interaction designers, graphic designers, industrial designers, architects and educators were encouraged to submit a portfolio and brief strategy/ approach description. In July, the four finalist teams were selected out of a pool of 40 responses. Each team was awarded a $10K stipend to develop their proposal. In October 2004, following presentations by the finalists, the jury selected Antenna Design as the winner of the competition.

Competition Site
The site for the prototypical Civic Exchange installation is at the southern end of Battery Park City. This is a critical crossroads of commerce, tourism, transportation, leisure, and culture in Lower Manhattan.

To the east of the site in Battery Park, a large volume of tourists arrive by bus to visit the park and take ferries to Liberty and Ellis Island. Nearby, Castle Clinton is planned to become a major information center for visitors.

To the north, along West Street, pedestrian, bike and rollerblading paths lead directly to the World Trade Center site, and are used heavily by tourists, commuters, and residents.

Northwest of the site, at the southern entrance to Battery Park City, is located the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Skyscraper Museum, and the Museum of Jewish Heritage. New York City buses and special Downtown Access bus services converge close to this location.

Additional Competition Information