‘reimagining brooklyn bridge’ competition winners propose glass walkways and urban forests

from the two categories, professional and young adult, 'brooklyn bridge forest' and 'do look down' win the competition.

kat barandy August 25, 2020 5 min

a source of pride for new yorkers and inspiration for visitors from across the world, the brooklyn bridge undergoes a close look with a competition titled ‘reimagining brooklyn bridge,’ with the winners finally announced. run by the van alen institute together with new york city council, the contest called for designers to re-think the iconic walkway to reclaim car lanes for pedestrians and cyclists, while centering sustainability, social equity, and improving well-being in new york city’s public spaces. the collection of entries saw a wide range of visions, both pragmatic and fantastical, including a clustered floating borough by daniel gillen along with a return back to the future by bjarke ingels group.

after a virtual design showdown run by van alen institute last month, two winners were selected. from the two categories, professional (ages 22 and up) and young adult (ages 21 and under), the two winners were chosen by a combination of public vote and scores from the competition’s interdisciplinary jury. the winning design of the professional category is brooklyn bridge forest proposed by a team led by pilot projects design collective. the winner of the young adult category is do look down, designed by shannon hui, kwans kim, and yujin kim. read more about each of the designs in the words of their creators below.

brooklyn bridge forest

brooklyn bridge forest | team lead: scott francisco, pilot projects design collective | new york and montreal

winners of the professional category, pilot projects design collective‘s brooklyn bridge forest reimagines the bridge as an icon of climate action and social equity, improving mobility while respecting the landmark structure. the historic wooden walkway is expanded using planks sustainably sourced from a ‘partner forest’ community in guatemala that protects a 200,000-acre rainforest. a dedicated bike path and reclaimed traffic lane create new space for cyclists and low-carbon transit, while biodiverse ‘microforests’ at either end of the bridge bring nature to new york city and serve as green spaces for underserved communities.

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brooklyn bridge forest | pilot projects design collective

scott francisco, brooklyn bridge forest team lead and founder of pilot projects design collective comments on the result: ‘we are energized by this victory for healthier cities and the global environment. brooklyn bridge forest seeks to build a new vision of environmental sustainability and social equity — reimagining this beloved landmark as a way to connect new york city and its residents to forests and natural systems that sustain life for all,’

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brooklyn bridge forest | pilot projects design collective

the team leader continues: ‘we thank van alen institute and the new york city council for their enormous commitment to this process, and our tens of thousands of supporters in new york city and around the world. we look forward to working with a broad array of stakeholders to advance this vision. our team is ready and excited to help new york city co-create an optimistic, equitable, and restorative future.‘

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brooklyn bridge forest | pilot projects design collective

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brooklyn bridge forest | pilot projects design collective

do look down

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do look down | shannon hui, kwans kim, and yujin kim | hong kong, bay area, CA, and new york

do look down’s installation of a glass surface above the bridge’s girders creates a whimsical new pedestrian space activated through art installations and seasonal programming. the lower roadway is converted into additional walkable and human-powered transport space that also offers opportunities for local vendors and performers. powered by kinetic paving, an led and projection system is mobilized to honor the city’s cultures, histories, and identities.

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do look down | shannon hui, kwans kim, and yujin kim

shannon hui of the do look down team comments on the victory: ‘it’s been an incredible experience taking part in the reimagining brooklyn bridge competition, a challenge originally addressing overcrowding that quickly became about so much more. this health crisis, in addition to its intersections with racial and queer injustice, has violently amplified the systemic inequities built into new york’s existing urban infrastructure, and for designers and developers to continue to operate within a vacuum would be to take advantage of a position of immense privilege.’

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do look down | shannon hui, kwans kim, and yujin kim

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do look down | shannon hui, kwans kim, and yujin kim

professional category finalist:

project title: brooklyn bridge forest

design team: pilot projects design collective, cities4forests, wildlife conservation society, grimshaw, silman

team members: scott francisco; dr. sarah jane wilson; christine facella; dr. jeremy radachowsky; justin den herder, PE; ben fryer; aaron vaden-youmans, noah garcia, alexandre rossignol, arianne pizem

team location: new york and montreal

young adult category finalist:

project title: do look down

design team: shannon hui, kwans kim, and yujin kim

team location: hong kong, bay area, CA, and new york