Rumour has it that there are at least one million buildings and structures across the five boroughs of New York City (NYC). Twenty-one of the best among them were celebrated for their “design, performance and functionality” at the latest edition of the Awards for Excellence in Design, organised by NYC’s Public Design Commission (PDC). Held at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library in midtown Manhattan, the award ceremony took place on June 28, with over 250 people in attendance.
Since 1983, PDC has recognised outstanding public projects in NYC with its annual awards, selecting from hundreds of submissions that are reviewed by the Commission the previous year. The awards for 2023, which were assessed across 2021 and 2022, were a “testament to the impact that our public spaces, landscapes and civic buildings can have on improving the quality of life in the city”. From multi-purpose recreation centres such as the Haffen Park and Pool Complex in the Bronx to “Resonances”, comprising two site-specific artworks in the interior of the Brownsville Library in Brooklyn; from a revamped Osborn Plaza (also in Brooklyn) to the Gate of the Exonerated, which commemorates the experience of the Exonerated (Central Park) Five and honours all of those wrongly convicted of crimes, the winners of the Design awards showcased the verve and versatility imbuing the look and feel of NYC right now. You can find out more about all the winning projects here.
‘These projects not only serve aesthetic aspirations but also the needs of a diverse demographic’
Sreoshy Banerjea (left) and Rebecca Macklis Caroline Rubinstein-Willis/Mayoral Photography Office; Steph Smith Photography
“The winning projects reflect the values that champion the lived experiences of all New Yorkers. Not just those in Manhattan, but also those from other parts of the city such as Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx or Staten Island. NYC is so diverse that we wanted to highlight a wide range of projects, from tourist destinations to neighbourhood pocket parks and plazas that mean a lot to the surrounding communities. These projects not only serve aesthetic aspirations but also the needs of a diverse demographic,” said Sreoshy Banerjea, executive director at PDC.
“Our awards are a celebration of the incredible people who take projects across the finish line for all New Yorkers. For us, design isn’t just about aesthetics. It also encompasses how the community’s voices are engaged, how their feedback is integrated and how the projects respond to our urban systems and climate needs. Being beautiful is just the cherry on top. All our winning projects are great examples of functional excellence as well as excellence in process. They show how design can maximise co-benefits,” said Rebecca Macklis, director of urban design and strategy at PDC.
Sreoshy and Rebecca are part of a “tiny but mighty team” at PDC, where “each member of staff wears a lot of hats, coordinates with commissioners and agencies, plans and manages events and turns up on occasions such as the awards ceremony to set up the chairs, too!”. For Rebecca, the Design awards are as much a success of architectural excellence as they are of “collaboration and communication”. “We define the public realm as every part of the city that serves New Yorkers. Through these awards, we shed light on projects to show the average person how a certain space is contributing to the urban system of the city, to benefit and support us all,” added Rebecca.
‘The way a city is shaped has to physically match the values of its people’
The team at PDC is “tiny but mighty” and believes in the equitability of design resources Caroline Rubinstein-Willis/Mayoral Photography Office
Sreoshy, who was integral towards “corralling the forces required to get the event (the awards) out there”, thanked Maria Torres-Springer, the deputy mayor for housing and economic development in NYC, for her unwavering support, before touching upon the importance of public testimonies behind the selection of awardees: “A vital component of these awards is for commissioners to see how the community has reacted to these projects. You learn so much from the people working in neighbourhoods rather than just the experts working in silos.”
Having had a chance to rediscover Kolkata last December, Sreoshy emphasised how “design resources should be dispersed in an equitable way, something that’s been a pain point for Kolkata and India in general.” She concluded by explaining what it is that makes NYC’s public spaces so special: “The way a city is shaped has to physically match the values of its people. I’m proud that my commissioners and administrators also believe in that. In cities like NYC, you have a clear distinction between soaring skyscrapers and low-rise neighbourhoods, all the while acknowledging the indispensability of both. After all, thriving and dynamic cities are all about community buy-in, stakeholder engagement and inclusive processes.”
