Sky Network
Sky Network
New York City grows vertically, so should its public space!
Sky Network is a multi-layered bridge network system laid out on top of the original New York’s 1811 orthogonal grid plan.
This new network system reacts to its urban context by connecting to surrounding buildings at strategic locations and detaching away from others, such as, monuments, parks or empty lots. The new system occupies only 20% to 30% of the street area below, cantilevering from anchor to anchor and avoiding any columns along the way. The already complex street tissue remains unchanged. At the anchor locations, the nearby areas are to be developed and enhanced commercially while vertical egresses are provided inside the buildings.
In its essence, it is a lightweight structure with motion sensors that would result in street lighting and signage below. LED panels are installed on the bridge’s underside and provide a constant “studio lighting” for the street life below.
Sky Network is also a vehicle free zone that allows for a free flow of pedestrians and other eco-friendly ways of transportation. Unexpected and exciting new directional views and space types are instantly generated throughout the journey.
It’s a new flexible organism that questions and provokes the original rigid orthogonal grid system. Rather than imposing an urban structure, as it happens with an orthogonal net, it adjusts locally to the constructed territory. It is also a solution for a potential flooding scene, allowing the city to maintain its activity throughout and after the natural disaster.
Sky Network presents a long-term answer to the constant pressure for new territories and flows of people within the island of Manhattan. A progressive system for a sustainable future, in which networks can be laid out on top of each other, fulfilling the city’s vertical tendency to reach the sky. In return, the urban life-style quality of New York City is continuously improved and enhanced.
For more information, visit http://www.tiagobarros.eu/