A NEW ARCHITECTURE OF INVISIBILITY

Substations in NYC

In Manhattan, New York, you can hardly see any utility poles and cables nowadays. In 1888, a snowstorm nearly devastated Manhattan's power system, prompting the city to bury all the alternating current (AC) power lines underground for safety. Present-day Manhattan no longer has utility poles, but it houses numerous sizable substations. These substations are camouflaged as regular buildings within neighborhoods, yet they contribute nothing to the community space.

Therefore, I aspire to relocate the invisible utility poles and cables back above ground and repurpose them to suspend the substations that were once on the ground. This action aims to return the space the substations occupied to the citizens for use. Simultaneously, I intend to combine the charging station with civic activities by utilizing the electrical energy generated by the substations. As my base is located by the seaside, I have decided to merge the charging station, civic square, shipping terminal, and substations, forming a comprehensive new type of space.

Industry City

Industry City is Brooklyn’s new vibrant creative hub along the scenic waterfront of Sunset Park, reformed from a historic intermodal shipping, warehousing, and manufacturing complex. To take advantage of the crowds from this area, I want to create a continuity of the circulation from the main street of the hub. As a result, I moved the original site of the substation to the west, aligned with the main street. Meanwhile, the shoreline is moved closer to the site so that the cables under the sea can come up and reach the substation, finally connecting to the city power grid.

Plan

Ferry terminal

Subtation exhibition

Section