The 42nd street links Hudson River to East River. It pass by some important buildings of mobility like Grand Central and the Port Authority Bus Terminal. Close to Time Square, it receives also some main places of the culture and advertisement like theaters and the New York public library. The central part where they are a lot of shops is particularly crowded. It’s those different characteristics that make this street so iconic for Manhattan and New York.

The people who use this streets are tourists going to theaters or doing some shopping, travelers coming of Grand central, New yorker during their lunch break at work, students doing research at the library, inhabitants going out to do their daily run, … The diversity of the users of this street is impressive. « Blue line » try to answer to every users.

 

 

Our project purpose to do a water line linking the two rivers, giving the impression that the river runs into the street (however, almost all the time, when the line cross an avenue the material of the floor continues but the water stop, allowing cars to pass). This design enables to understand easily the way of the tramway which links the two terminals. Moreover to be the support of mobilities, it creates qualitatif areas, it brings freshness and space in the crowded places and it designs playful and sportive areas in the other parts of the street. The water lines serve to order and share the public space.

 

 

We define three kinds of sequences in the street, according the flows of people, the rate of frequentation and the programmation of the buildings of the surrounding.

 

The first one is the « Outstanding sequence » : these sequences take place at the level of important buildings and areas like Grand central, the public library, time square and the bus terminal. In theses parts, the streets is usually really crowded. So our water line is pushed on one side providing more space to users. It creates a shared public spaces/squares. The water (when there is no tramway passing on) renforce the feeling of spaciousness. Those spaces - characterize by the variety of users - receive severals stands of amenities like cafes, stand of organic food, battery to charge phones and laptop, stand to charge music, little libraries, games, movable urban furnitures, mini backstage for street art, citizen stands, bringing to every people what they need and want.

 

The second one is the « Playful sequence » : it takes place in between the « Outstanding sequence » and the « Promenade sequence ». The water is used here to create playful areas in one side of the line of the tramway, with water jets, mirrors of water. During hot summers the waters games create in some parts of the street a thin fog and bring freshness to New Yorkers. During the night, the floor of the street is stirred with interactive games of lights.

 

The third one is the « Promenade sequence » : these sequences are close to the Hudson and east River, in the extremity of the street. This part is less crowded and more residential. The principal users are worker and inhabitants. A « fast » way or sportive line is set up between water and vegetation strips creating a path for runners, bike riders, skateboarders, to go scootering, to go roller skating, … During the winter, when the water strip frizzes it becomes a path to ice skate. 

We think that this project of pedestrian street is a first step toward a project of requalification of the river banks.

 

 

« Blue line » think the urban space for inhabitants, workers, student, travelers, tourists, elderly people, children, … at the different time of the day and the night. It purpose different functions according to seasons.