ESCAPE - a transitional getaway from metropolitan life

Project idea

Manhattanism is over. The paradigm that produced the skyscraper; the delirious grid of New York; the extremity of urban density. We must empower a new urban player - not of verticality such as the skyscraper of Manhattanism but of a horizontal mega-formal nature. Hence, Roosevelt Island should be more peaceful, relaxing , a place away from the crowds, an escaping point where you can getaway from metropolitan life.
This means creating the opposite of Manhattanism; to avoid the regular grid of buildings, roads and spaces. In a way, to design Demanhattanism. To understand this we expressed this transitional feeling into design, by dividing the island into two different areas, the historical area (Four Freedoms Park and abandoned Smallpox Hospital) and contemporary transitional area(Library, Cultural Center, Cinema, Theater, Art and Crafts, Research Center, Yoga Center) . When you first enter the island, you will notice the spacious green area which gives a warm welcome. From this point you can choose to visit the transitional design with different functions or to visit directly the Smallpox Hospital which is restored and transformed into Roosevelt Island Museum. This together with Four Freedoms Park by Louis Khan create the historic area of the island.
Taking into account that except from Queens there is not any other direct connection to Roosevelt Island, especially from Manhattan the design of a pedestrian bridge was a necessity, not only for island but for the entire urban fabric of the city. This bridge will be at the same time the vessel for the new paradigm. Each part of the bridge perform distinct roles to form our perception of the city/island.

Project description

Escape is a project worked by four students. It is a masterplan proposal for the Roosevelt Island, a very strategic point in New York, but complicated at the same time because the masterplan has to respect and include in the overall idea the Abandoned Smallpox Hospital and Louis Khan Monument in one side and Cornell Tech University on the other side. Escape Project sees Roosevelt Island as a peaceful, relaxing , a place away from the crowds, an escaping point where you can getaway from metropolitan life.

Technical information

- Masterplan 2D and 3D
- Technical details for one of the proposed buildings(Library, Co-working, Theater, Research Center, Yoga Center, Art and Crafts).
- Technical detail for Smallpox Hospital and it's transformation to Roosevelt Island Museum.
- Visualisations

Co-authors

Egzon Feka from Kosovo, student at Politecnico di Milano.
Xhensila Ogreni from Albania, student at Politecnico di Milano.
Ozan Celik from Turkey, student at Politecnico di Milano.
Engin Akkan from Turkey, student at Politecnico di Milano.