Pier 57 in South Chelsea Wins New York State Historic Preservation Award

Aerial view of Pier 57 - Hudson River Park TrustAerial view of Pier 57 - Hudson River Park Trust

Pier 57, a former New York City Transit Authority bus depot on the South Chelsea waterfront, has won New York State’s Historic Preservation Award recognizing significant efforts to transform the site into a vibrant public destination. The redevelopment project was completed in collaboration by RXR, Young Woo & Associates, and The Baupost Group.

Pier 57 is located within Hudson River Park and was originally completed in 1954 by architect and civil engineer Emil Praeger. The two-story building that occupies the pier comprises about 450,000 square feet and is supported by three floating concrete caissons set atop thousands of piles driven deep into the Hudson Riverbed.

From 1969 until 2003, the building served as a bus depot and parking garage until it was shut down. The structure was added to New York State at National Registers of Historic Places in 2004 and heralded a modern marvel of engineering.

Historic photo of Pier 57

Historic photo of Pier 57

View of Pier 57 interiors during the construction phase

View of Pier 57 interiors during the construction phase

In 2011, the Trust awarded the project to the trio of the developers, who then selected Handel Architects and !Melk Landscape Architecture to bring the development to life.

The Pier 57 building comprises around 350,000 square feet of commercial space. Tenants include City Winery, a food hall, and Google office spaces. An 80,000-square-foot rooftop public park crowns the structure and is the largest of its kind in New York City. Additional public spaces flank the building facing north, south, and east.

“Historic preservation is collaborative work and we welcome the opportunity to recognize projects that harness the energy and demonstrate the remarkable potential of historic preservation,” New York State Parks commissioner Erik Kulleseid. “We are proud to be an active partner on projects throughout New York State and congratulate all of the individuals and groups who make preservation possible. Their extraordinary efforts and creative visions are inspirational and have positive, long-lasting effects in our communities.”

Outdoor park at Pier 57 - Hudson River Park Trust

Outdoor park at Pier 57 – Hudson River Park Trust

Outdoor park at Pier 57 - Hudson River Park Trust

Outdoor park at Pier 57 – Hudson River Park Trust

Interior view of office space at Pier 57

Interior view of office space at Pier 57

Created in 1980 by the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, the annual award program honors projects and teams that significantly protect and revitalize historic, natural, and cultural sites.

Additional project winners in New York City Project include The East Harlem South/El Barrio Reconnaissance Level Survey recognized for Excellence in Historic Preservation Documentation, and an Excellence in Historic Building Rehabilitation award for the T Building project, a ten-story hospital-to-residential conversion in Jamaica, Queens.

“Preserving notable landmarks across New York allows us to celebrate our shared history and honor our collective past,” said New York governor Kathy Hochul said. “I congratulate this year’s recipients on their efforts to capitalize on our historic and cultural resources to build a brighter future for our state.”

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6 Comments on "Pier 57 in South Chelsea Wins New York State Historic Preservation Award"

  1. David in Bushwick | January 7, 2023 at 10:48 am | Reply

    Almost no information here what the new space is used for except a photo caption of “office.” The last article was from 2015 and the project was meant for Google office space. The rooftop design definitely changed but without any side views, it’s hard to know what all of this is about.

    • “The Pier 57 building comprises around 350,000 square feet of commercial space. Tenants include City Winery, a food hall, and Google office spaces. An 80,000-square-foot rooftop public park crowns the structure and is the largest of its kind in New York City”

    • David, there was actually another more recent article from April 2022 with photographs Michael Young took from the rooftop. You should take a look at it if you never did

  2. Nice place for this crap

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