Farm Follows Fiction, Reimagine a NYC Icon†
location: New York City, USA
client: Metals in Construction Magazine (competition)
†Designed/directed by MLauzon Chief Creative Officer Lemay
The Challenge
International open and anonymous ideas competition sponsored by Metals in construction magazine to simulate design innovation around the Architecture Challenge 2030: targeting net zero buildings. The competition object was the retrofit and energy performance of the building envelope of the Metlife building (former Pan-AM) in New York City’s midtown.
Expertise(s)
ASSET REPOSITIONING, BRANDSCAPING
Market(s)
Distinctions
The Response
Winning Entry, the bold scheme envisions a complete make-over and repositioning of Gropius’s much-maligned tower from urban liability to essential asset for New Yorkers by integrating a vertical greenhouse in its facade, a farmer’s market in its base and a dirigible landing pad on the roof. The proposal integrates an array of sustainability strategies working in tandem to reduce the energy consumption by 75%. The proposal is presented in didactic and fun comic-book format.
Selected Press Release
All images courtesy of Metals in Construction Magazine
