Feature of the Month: Dattner Architects' Spring Street Salt Shed recognized for excellence by Design Commission

Each year the City of New York's Public Design Commission recognizes outstanding public projects with its annual Awards for Excellence in Design. The winning projects are selected from hundreds of submissions reviewed by the Design Commission annually and exemplify the highest design standards. This year 11 projects received awards, including the Spring Street Salt Shed. Designed by Dattner Architects with WXY Architecture + Urban Design for the NYC Department of Sanitation, the Salt Shed will house, on one of the most visible locations in the city, a stockpile of rock salt to be spread on the roads in the winter. This resulted in an enigmatic, iconic sculpted form responding to the triangular site and the varying scale of the adjacent structures. "The structure is tapered at the bottom, creating more pedestrian space, and set into a glazed moat that will be illuminated at night, giving the building an enigmatic feel" said Paul Bauer AIA, principal, Dattner Architects and "These details transform the building from being merely a storage shed into a valuable addition to the urban fabric." The Salt Shed adjoins the Holland Tunnel Vent Shaft - an Art Deco structure that represents excellence in public architecture from last century. To the north is Manhattan 1/2/5 Garage, designed by Dattner Architects with WXY Architecture + Urban Design. "The Salt Shed is the solid counter point to the diaphanous, scrim-like façade of the Garage," said Richard Dattner FAIA, principal, Dattner Architects. "The façade of the garage is comprised of thousands of metallic fins, some moving in response to environmental conditions and animating the rectilinear exterior. The salt shed is a solid faceted crystal, further enhanced by the glowing sidewalk moat." Dattner Architects is a New York City-based firm known for design excellence and civic engagement. Their portfolio includes master planning and buildings for public agencies, educational and cultural institutions; historic preservation/adaptive reuse; sustainable architecture; interior design. Their work aims at the realization of their clients' highest aspirations, respecting their shared social responsibilities, built within available resources. Projects for a wide range of communities, clients and users demonstrate their respect for context and the needs of the people these projects serve. This is their eighth award from the Public Design Commission.