Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) has unveiled its design for the “Freedom Plaza”, a civic and cultural hub on the shores of Manhattan’s East River.
The project, which is being developed by Soloviev Group and Mohegan Sun, is located south of the UN headquarters in the Midtown East neighbourhood. Its 4.8-acre footprint will contain two residential towers with affordable housing, a Museum of Freedom and Democracy, two hotels, shops and restaurants.
The development forms a public green space reaching from 1st Avenue to the East River. At either end of the park are conjoined towers, one linked at the crown, the other at the base. The spiral-shaped Museum of Freedom and Democracy will be built on a perch overlooking the river.
Another possible element is a gambling area connected to the hotels. Freedom Plaza is one of several projects vying for three gaming licences in and around New York City.
Bjarke Ingels, BIG’s founder, said: “When Le Corbusier, Niemeyer and Harrison designed the UN Secretariat Building, they grafted an oasis of international modernism onto the dense urban grid of Manhattan.
“We are incredibly honoured and thrilled to be part of the team that can envision a new major public space in this great city, to contribute to the iconic skyline of Manhattan’s riverfront, and to imagine the architecture of the museum celebrating one of mankind’s greatest inventions: democracy.”
