The Site-Specific Sculpture
AT ARCHITECTS

Spanish architect and urban planner Ana Maria Torres and her team opted for a landmark meant to evoke the site’s temporary life—in fact, the building looks ever so slightly like a concrete Anselm Kiefer sculpture at giant scale. (It does in this early rendering, at least; ultimately, much of the upper part of the building would be encased in glass, with stone sheathing at the base.) It’s round, explains Torres, because the spot “feels like a pivot point, so the idea is to have a building that rotates conceptually.” The plaza at the center will give Sohoans a place to hang out, augmenting the plaza that’s now at the edge of the site. (“Maybe they can gather there for the Tribeca Film Festival,” she says.) Torres, a big proponent of green architecture, suggests that the many horizontal planes be turned into green rooftops. Side panels could collect solar energy.