“The city owns some of the narrowest, most unusual lots in New York,” we read, but these odd lots might soon host affordable housing. A new competition called Big Ideas for Small Lots NYC is looking for architectural proposals for how these awkwardly sized spaces might be used.
Although these overlooked lots exist all over New York—“The city became the owner of thousands of properties beginning in the 1960s and ’70s,” The New York Times explains, “many in the Bronx and Brooklyn, where properties were seized from delinquent landlords and urban blight was rampant”—the competition is focused on one particular location:
Entrants will be asked to focus on a property on West 136th Street in Harlem, a 17-foot-wide, 1,665-square-foot mid-block lot that is overgrown with weeds and home to a number of feral cats. It was chosen because many of its challenges, including narrow frontage and limited sunlight, are present at other lots on the list, according to a spokesman for the project.
Read more at the project website or at The New York Times.
(Very, very vaguely related: Buy a Los Angeles Sidewalk Corner).
We had a very nice little restaurant called »Die Lücke«, »the gap« here in Weimar, made of readymade and often loaned material. Unfortunately it was only temporary. We really miss it. Here an article about it: http://www.spiegel.de/reise/deutschland/weimar-pop-up-restaurant-luecke-bietet-moderne-kueche-auf-zeit-a-979072.html I hope Google Translate can do the job of translating 😉
It would be cool to use commercial possibilities (including restaurants) for this competition in New York, although—at least for now—it’s targeted at housing.
I agree. And in other news »Die Lücke« in Weimar is actually planning to come back shortly! (Sorry, Facebook-Link: https://de-de.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1211106552373541&id=296780607139478&__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARBZh0-lcbsx7C0UlXXEVmvTwD9McpsMcxhs7249O3GOeEkUls0At-dg1Ppx8BrGdvcLgBrCDnbZZukeM6IocQ9ZOhtpFyIMDy0eVhKGiMb6IbCUoilhiHnG0fns-IDbE5ETqNssHBSfkgDOBn5l5pO2OJzX0vY-duWrQjrQT0fpUd-yWcIIUrCEx-d626KPajWw6DdIYcxjt3Yw3vWP_MsDPu_7JROpcuHunTwguzsoCKKJSjHdTuz2fxFuVZ49gp8QTdxyr4sAyyR991Y50nOOakIps0hGVto01iKw2wQ-A677iIHtBB2mhGzhPXO59xqtlYD-2PlsFj5c2PRUGkCW4A&__tn__=-R)
Are they that awkward though? It seems almost as wide as the others.
Once they blend in the street facade they could do what they want behind it I presume- large skylights,modern open living spaces, spiral staircases- could be great.