Produce, Exchange, Exhibit

By: Hana Čičević and Daniel Abraham Gandica

Answering urbanistic questions of crucial importance demands a reflection on living experience in a metropolis of the past. New York City testifies that the metropolis of today is built upon the metropolis of yesterday. Perpetual change is the binding element of distinct points in time that serves as an encouragement to study the mistakes and successes of past urbanistic endeavors. Produce – Exchange – Exhibit is a project located in New York City Penn Station Area compresses an urban scale of the city into a single neighborhood.

A modern metropolis is built upon the perpetual mode of constant exchange that enables its inhabitants to adopt new ways of thinking. The proposed exchange hub is based on an idea of honoring this notion through the architectural layering of various sub-programmatic concepts. The ground level market is the embodiment of the Exchange as it serves for the sale of physical goods. As the market is flexible, it has the potential to be transformed to host seasonal festivals to embody the notion of cultural exchange. The exchange of skills and knowledge is an indirect sub-programmatic concept, and spaces for such exchange are permeated throughout the two underground levels of the market.

Produce and Exhibit are interconnected programmatic units that are distributed throughout the two remaining sites. Production is the elementary incentive that is necessary for any metropolis as it enables a continuous supply of fresh ideas. The design proposes spaces for both the literal manufacture of goods and arts, as well as for the production of knowledge and skills through education. Exhibition (e.g. theaters, galleries) is used as a medium to translate the produced skills into the language understandable by a wider audience. Tower elements are introduced into both
of these sites to satisfy the need for housing and offices in the area. The verticality of these modular programs is interrupted by moments of suspension that serve to the overall idea of Produce –Exchange – Exhibit.