Client: RXR Realty, Youngwoo & Associates, Hudson River Park Trust
Architecture: Handel Architects
Photos: Gabriel Zangari
New Yorkers are entranced by the slowly flowing Hudson River, inviting them to linger on the piers that have been intelligently converted to green spaces: public parks, exercise areas, gardens overlooking the water, beach volleyball courts, open-air work areas and (the just opened) first beach in Manhattan across from the Whitney Museum. On the horizon are the Freedom Tower, the magnificence of the Empire State Building, and the architectural avant-garde of the High Line. The conversion of the Pier in Hudson River Park has given the city a new look, creating authentic, immersive oases interspersed with local plantlife: the sustainable boardwalk can be walked or biked, surrounded by a truly unique New York. One of the most impressive recent conversion projects is Pier 57 in Chelsea, now a culinary, recreational, and educational destination that celebrates the vibrancy of New York and its diverse local community.
Its history dates back to 1907 when it was built as a terminal for shipping and storage. In 1952, it was rebuilt by the New York Division of Military and Naval Affairs, and reopened two years later as a Grace Line terminal. Designed by Emil H. Praeger, its innovative construction has earned it a reputation as a marvel of engineering. Its main structure is supported by three hollow concrete caissons instead of the traditional wooden pylons used widely in New York.
Pier 57 is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. A new era started for it on April 1, 2023, after an adaptive reuse and renovation project turned it into a vibrant multipurpose center through a partnership between Hudson River Park Trust, Google, RXR Realty, Youngwoo & Associates, and Jamestown. With gourmet dining and co-working spaces, spanning everything from art to nature, and the delightful rooftop managed by Hudson River Park Trust, Pier 57 is a cultural hub open to the public with a full roster of events, talks, cooking classes, and educational and recreational programs.
We enter this impressive “loft,” welcomed on the ground floor by Market 57, the food hall designed as an incubator for small local businesses and food entrepreneurs, managed by the award-winning James Beard Foundation, which has pursued its Good Food for Good™ mission with Platform, a show kitchen, and an event space. Platform by JBF rotates chefs-in-residence to become an unprecedented stage for award-winning chefs and emerging talents with gourmet experiences, cooking programs, and collaborative dinners for the culinary arts.
Manhattan’s first location for the Korean specialty shop Little Banchan Shop, Market 57 is home to famous restaurants like Madri, Local Roots, LoLo’s on the Water, Mijo, Mothershuckers, The Galley by Lobster Place, Sahadi’s, and Zaab Zaab. On the south side of the building, there are a co-working space called the Living Room, and an interactive, high-tech Hudson River Park Discovery Tank invites visitors to discover local wildlife. The park opened on the rooftop is a must-see, a magnificent place to be immersed in breathtaking sunsets and an incomparable view of Lower Manhattan, New Jersey, the skyline icons of New York, and the new Little Island, a park built on the Hudson, supported by tulip-inspired uprights. We rediscover the eternal dialogue between the city and its river, between the island and the water’s flow.
