adams house in paradise

New York, NY.

Storefront for Art and Architecture - Lower East Side Housing Proposal - Adam's House in Paradise

Based specifically on the garden / earth-work sculpture and writings of Adam Purple, a Lower East Side poet, political activist and gardener, this housing project was a result of an invitation by the Storefront for Art and Architecture. The goal for this design proposal for one square block in Lower Manhattan, was to provide an alternative to the impending demolition of the garden and to suggest a way for new housing by the Lower Manhattan Development Agency. Our scheme proposes rocket-ship apartment towers and curling housing blocks that could "land" in various Manhattan neighborhoods. The circular forms evoke primal imagery, and are in contrast to the grid, thus suggestive of an organic sense of time. The collage of new urban typological infill was meant to set off a dialog different to that afforded by the traditional grid and to achieve neighborhood that would be singular in its identity - one filled with wonderment and nature.