The Winning Design Submission by WIP Collaborative Activates Hudson Square Neighborhood with a Dynamic Mix of Form and Function

Hudson Square Properties, a joint venture between Trinity Church Wall Street, Norges Bank Investment Group and Hines has partnered with the Urban Design Forum and the Hudson Square BID in announcing the completion of Restorative Ground, a streetscape installation as part of its “Care for Hudson Square” competition. A call for entries in mid-2020 sought submissions from New York’s design community to create a dynamic and multi-faceted platform for public interaction and gathering. The winning submission from WIP Collaborative is poised to reactivate an underutilized street culminating in a completely reimagined streetscape for New Yorkers to gather, and once again, to celebrate the vibrancy of New York City. The temporary installation will eventually be donated to another streetscape in New York to create a similar outdoor experience.

“CB2 looks forward to our neighbors enjoying Restorative Ground’s enhancement of our public space and the many passive and recreational benefits it will bring to our community,” said Shirley Secunda, Community Board No. 2 chairperson. Corey Johnson, Speaker, New York City Council, Representing the 3rd Council District added, “New Yorkers have relied on their open spaces more than ever since the COVID-19 pandemic. I am grateful for this collaborative effort in Hudson Square and look forward to more projects like this so New Yorkers can safely enjoy public space together.”

“At the Hudson Square Business Improvement District, we see public art as part of the DNA of the creative and innovative neighborhood.” said BID President and CEO, Ellen Baer. "Throughout the pandemic our open spaces proved to be vital resources for our businesses and community, and we are thrilled to welcome Restorative Ground not only as the newest public art piece, but also as an inviting space for the people to work, play and think."

Located on King Street between Hudson and Greenwich streets, Restorative Ground is an interactive destination in Hudson Square, a place for residents, office tenants, and the broader public to come together around a range of activities. The installation itself straddles the parking lane and part of the sidewalk, aligning with King Street’s participation in the Open Streets Program. Using colorful and durable materials, like recycled rubber and AstroTurf, the installation features modular sections for lounging, gathering, and playing.

"As New York City emerges from the pandemic, we should reimagine our city streets as safe spaces to gather and heal," said Daniel McPhee, Executive Director of the Urban Design Forum. "WIP Collaborative's design aims to welcome every kind of New Yorker and create space for recreation and respite at a time when we need it most."

“Like anything else, this project started with the right combination of leadership and teamwork,” said Tommy Craig, Senior Managing Director of Hines, Hudson Square Properties’ joint venture partner. “This was our chance to give a gift and, through our partnership with Trinity Church, Norges Bank and, our co-pilots on this initiative, Urban Design Forum and the Hudson Square BID, this installation has come together as a joyful and additive complement to the natural and organic rebound of the vibrancy and human vitality that New York City is known for. At the end of the day, Restorative Ground is a foreshadowing of what’s to come as we endeavor to implement more aspirational plans for permanent improvements on King Street.”

“New Yorkers have once again shown that in times of immense need we come together in the best way, with the support of our partners, New York City agencies, and elected officials, and WIP - Restorative Ground will offer a space for shared creativity reenergizing King Street through thoughtful design” said Chris Roth, Managing Director of Hines, Hudson Square Properties joint venture partner.

According to the WIP Collaborative team, Restorative Ground offers a multifaceted landscape of experience and a new vision for an inclusive public space. The installation will provide a range of spatial qualities - high and low stimulation, tactile materials and textures, distinct experiential zones - in order to create a more holistically inclusive public environment.

Rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, the installation provides a range of spaces using tactile materials and textures to create distinct experiential zones. From the street, the continuous and undulating form of Restorative Ground entices visitors to discover three different experiential zones: focused, active, and calm. And, by offering a safe outdoor space as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, the project provides a much-needed gathering place for the community.

While the focused zone of the installation can host outdoor workshops and events, the active and calm zones can support informal play and relaxation. The project builds on research by WIP Collaborative investigating how public spaces can better serve people of all ages, backgrounds, and spectrums of neurodiversity. Restorative Ground brings a variety of experiences designed to meet the diverse needs of Hudson Square. It will act as an interactive destination in Hudson Square, a place for a range of experiences, activities, and interactions.

Reimagining the Public Realm through Care for Hudson Square

https://urbandesignforum.org/programs/public-programs/hudson-square/

About Hudson Square Properties

About Hudson Square Properties
Hudson Square Properties is a joint venture of Trinity Church Wall Street and Norges Bank Investment Management with Hines, the operating partner, of a 12-building portfolio of approximately 6 million square feet. Ideally situated in the heart of lower Manhattan bordered by Soho, Tribeca, and the West Village, Hudson Square has become the destination for thought leaders and innovators across a vast array of high-profile tech, media, and advertising companies drawn by the energy of this vibrant neighborhood and the flexibility of the space.

About Urban Design Forum

Urban Design Forum mobilizes civic leaders to confront the defining issues facing New York City’s built environment. We are an independent membership organization that empowers professionals of diverse backgrounds, industries, and perspectives to shape a better future for all New Yorkers. We investigate complex challenges in the built environment, study alternative approaches from cities around the world, and advance progressive strategies to build a more dynamic and democratic city. See all work at urbandesignforum.org.

About Hudson Square BID

Since July 2009, the Hudson Square BID has overseen the transformation of Manhattan’s former Printing District into a thriving creative hub. In Hudson Square, imagination and technology come together to redefine what it means to be creative. The area we manage is generally bounded by Clarkson Street on the north, Canal Street on the south, 6th Avenue on the east, and West Street on the west.

The BID’s signature programs include our Pedestrian Safety Managers, the award-winning Hudson Square Standard—considered the platinum standard in urban forestry—and our nationally recognized streetscape program Hudson Square is Now, a $27 million public-private partnership with the City of New York. The BID’s goal is to foster the physical, social, and cultural connections that give rise to a community where the spirit of innovation can flourish inside and out.

About WIP

WIP Collaborative is a feminist architecture collective of independent design professionals focused on research and design projects that engage community and the public realm. WIP combines expertise in architectural design, landscape architecture, urban design, and community engagement. It emerged from a broader community of Women in Practice and operates as a collaborative alternative to a conventional architecture firm, offering an adaptable, cooperative framework for interdisciplinary design.

The WIP Collaborative team is composed of seven independent designers and their respective practices including Abby Coover (Overlay Office), Bryony Roberts (Bryony Roberts Studio), Elsa Ponce, Lindsay Harkema (WIP Studio), Ryan Brooke Thomas (Kalos Eidos), Sera Ghadaki, and Sonya Gimon.