Fisher Brothers today announced the launch of a privately-funded design competition created to solicit bold ideas to re-envision and enliven the traditional traffic medians of the Park Avenue commercial district between 46th and 57th Streets.
While Park Avenue remains one of the world’s iconic commercial boulevards, identifiable in part by its centerline plantings and periodic sculpture installations, Fisher Brothers believes more can be done to enliven and activate these spaces for a new generation. As an open call for ideas, Fisher Brothers is inviting participants to think “beyond the centerline” and stretch the limits of their creativity.
“Our goal with this competition is to inspire others to come up with their most ambitious and creative visions possible to bring these underutilized islands of green into the 21st Century. We view it as a way to demonstrate to the City the possibilities of what these medians can become,” said Fisher Brothers Partner Winston Fisher.
He added, “We are calling on the most innovative minds to give us their biggest and boldest vision for crafting the world’s newest and most dynamic urban oasis, unconstrained by zoning codes, cost, weight limits or other restrictions. We want them to treat these centerlines as a blank canvas for reimagining Park Avenue, which will get people excited about a potential change.”
Each submission to the competition will be reviewed by an esteemed jury panel of experts:
- Vishaan Chakrabarti, Founder, PAU and Professor, Columbia University
- Winston Fisher, Partner, Fisher Brothers
- Jon Kessler, Artist and Professor, Columbia University’s School of the Arts
- Signe Nielsen, Principal, Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects
- David Rockwell, Founder and President, Rockwell Group
- Samantha Rudin, Senior Vice President, Rudin Management
- Michael Speaks, PH.D., Dean of The School of Architecture and Professor of Architecture at Syracuse University
Fisher Brothers is sponsoring the contest and funding the prizes to be awarded. The jury will select a $25,000 grand prize winner and a popular vote will determine a $5,000 prize winner.
Up to 10 of the top designs selected by the jury will be displayed in an exhibit in the public arcade of Fisher Brothers’ Park Avenue Plaza tower at 52nd Street, starting in February 2018.
For more information about the competition rules, submission criteria and deadlines, please visit www.FBDesignCom.com