THE CHALLENGE – PROVIDE SHELTER BUT PRESERVE THE MAGNIFICENT VIEW
The Weehawken Ferry Terminal on the Hudson River in New Jersey is a major transportation hub for passengers to and from Manhattan. It’s the result of a multimillion dollar upgrade to make ferry services user-friendly, comfortable and attractive to commuters. For this project, the challenge was to create an architecturally pleasing sheltered transit area without obscuring the magnificent Manhattan skyline view. Just as important was the need to minimize traveller disruption during construction.
OUR SOLUTION – PRE-MANUFACTURED VAULTED STRUCTURES
Our design comprised a series of vaulted, arched tensioned membrane structures that provide shelter without obstructing the view. To speed installation, most of the construction work was completed offsite. At no point was it necessary to close the ferry terminal.
We are pleased to have collaborated with KieranTimberlake and the outfit of a parking structure on the Rice University Campus. In their blog post, they describe the concepts they employed to create an iconic sculptural element. For more details see the KieranTimberlake blog post.
The Increasing Importance of DurabilityWhile tensile fabric has several distinct advantages over more traditional materials like glass, one of the most important may be its ability to withstand severe weather events. Our tensile structures and tensile facades in Miami, Jacksonville, Houston, Fort Worth, Waco, and Atlanta did not sustain any damage or require any repair despite enduring events ranging […]
