While we do not support anything like the originally proposed large-scale continuous commercial development, we believe that there is a place along the river for singular public buildings that could be built with environmentally innovative methods and would provide a foreground to the dense urban mass of the island.

Our proposal is to float an expansion of the Javits Center in the river on a pontoon raft. The new structure, connected to the existing building by dramatic gangways bridging the West Side Highway, will be ringed by a public walkway and bordered by a park to the south. This new building will add 500,000 SF of space, making it one of the largest convention centers in the country.

Access to the site will rely on reinforcing public transportation and minimizing traffic impact: the new No. 7 subway line will feed people from 11th Avenue, and the West 39th Street ferry terminal is already adjacent to the site. Vehicle drop-off will be directly off the high-volume West Side Highway. Service access will be through the existing Center truck bays to the east, with supplementary docks along the highway.

The pontoon will have the capability of generating energy from the tidal flow of the river. The new hall, supported by a field of splayed columns, will have a sinuous, translucent roof designed to capture and diffuse the unique river light. Two gangways, one for service and one for pedestrians, will connect the new hall to the existing Center and extend the circulation spine to form an integrated yet flexible complex.

The pontoon will have the capability of generating energy from the tidal flow of the river. The new hall, supported by a field of splayed columns, will have a sinuous, translucent roof designed to capture and diffuse the unique river light. Two gangways, one for service and one for pedestrians, will connect the new hall to the existing Center and extend the circulation spine to form an integrated yet flexible complex.

The interior structure is made of a splayed space frame with a sinuous translucent skin.

An indentation in the roof becomes an outdoor theater, perched high above the river and accessible independently from the convention facilities, adding public value to the complex. A mezzanine serves as a transitional level, facilitating entry from the gangways as well as access to the rooftop theater.

A bridge to the High Line will expand the pedestrian network along the water’s edge. A public park at termination of 34th Street will extend to the pierhead, and a public walkway ringing the new center will allow visitors direct access to the water and will integrate the complex into the Hudson River Park.