79th Street Boat Basin Dockhouse




2024-2025
Architecture Research Office
Location: New York, NY
Size: 3,800 SF

Located on the Hudson River beside Manhattan’s Riverside Park, this new public dockhouse replaces an existing one, which was extensively damaged by Superstorm Sandy, with a new 3,800 SF building that meets the flood zone code and necessary accessibility requirements. The building provides support facilities for the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation’s (DPR) operations as part of an expansion of the 79th Street Boat Basin Marina. Development of the project is done in collaboration with the New York City Economic Development Corporation and was executed through a series of rigorous public design forums and meetings with organizations like Manhattan Community Board 7, the NYC DPR internal review board, the State Historic Preservation Office, and the Public Design Commission. Through each of these constructive meetings and design checkpoints the project gained modification and eventual approval. The result is a structure that honors New York’s maritime past while responding to its unique site condition being elevated over the waters of the Hudson River. Diagonal structural columns along the facade support the building’s roof and create a triangular pattern inspired by the city’s maritime vernacular, referencing similar forms in the historic 69th Street Transfer Bridge, the trusses of the George Washington Bridge, and a boat’s mast, rigging, and sails. Using durable materials like stainless steel, aluminum grilles, and bird friendly glass to withstand the harsh marine environment, the facade takes on a dynamic quality reflecting the color and lighting of the sky above and the water below. A “floating” beacon, the new one-story dockhouse announces its civic identity at 360 degrees while maintaining views to the water from the Riverside Park promenade and the historic 79th Street Rotunda above.

79th Street Boat Basin Dockhouse




2024-2025
Architecture Research Office
Location: New York, NY
Size: 3,800 SF

Located on the Hudson River beside Manhattan’s Riverside Park, this new public dockhouse replaces an existing one, which was extensively damaged by Superstorm Sandy, with a new 3,800 SF building that meets the flood zone code and necessary accessibility requirements. The building provides support facilities for the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation’s (DPR) operations as part of an expansion of the 79th Street Boat Basin Marina. Development of the project is done in collaboration with the New York City Economic Development Corporation and was executed through a series of rigorous public design forums and meetings with organizations like Manhattan Community Board 7, the NYC DPR internal review board, the State Historic Preservation Office, and the Public Design Commission. Through each of these constructive meetings and design checkpoints the project gained modification and eventual approval. The result is a structure that honors New York’s maritime past while responding to its unique site condition being elevated over the waters of the Hudson River. Diagonal structural columns along the facade support the building’s roof and create a triangular pattern inspired by the city’s maritime vernacular, referencing similar forms in the historic 69th Street Transfer Bridge, the trusses of the George Washington Bridge, and a boat’s mast, rigging, and sails. Using durable materials like stainless steel, aluminum grilles, and bird friendly glass to withstand the harsh marine environment, the facade takes on a dynamic quality reflecting the color and lighting of the sky above and the water below. A “floating” beacon, the new one-story dockhouse announces its civic identity at 360 degrees while maintaining views to the water from the Riverside Park promenade and the historic 79th Street Rotunda above.

 






























































































©2025