Do Look Down’s installation of a glass surface above the bridge’s girders creates a whimsical new pedestrian space activated through art installations and seasonal programming.
Reimagining Brooklyn Bridge: Do Look Down
Award-Winning International Design Competition Proposal for Van Alen Institute and New York City Council
Summer 2020
Partners: Yujin Kim and Kwans Kim
Advisors: Andrew Brown and Andrew Lassiter
Role: Team LeadApplications
Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Rhino, SketchUp
Our design can be characterized by three major renovations: the reclamation of the entire roadway for pedestrians and bicycles, the installation of a translucent and frosted glass walkway above the bridge’s girders, and the placement of kinetic paving on the walkways. We seek to transform the newfound space provided by the glass and the roadway by hosting local vendors, artists, events, and performances- a wide range of programming that can serve the city’s vast diversity of identities.
We believed that any hypothetical intervention to the Bridge should be accessible to all users and enhance existing circulation and technological systems, whilst being respectful of its illustrious facade. By drawing pedestrians upward to the adjacent glass-floored walkways, the burden on traffic is lifted at the central pathway, enabling a liberated— and ergo, safer— experience for cyclists, vendors, and diverse bodies. The conditions for serendipitous encounters between strangers should be mobilized by its formal structure, and elevate the bridge as a transient experience that knits one territory to the next.
The lower roadway is converted into additional walkable and human-powered transport space that also offers opportunities for local vendors and performers. Here is a visualization of a Brooklyn Bridge Flea Market.
With the guiding principle of preservation at heart, the existing form of the bridge remains unchanged- yet enhanced. The Brooklyn Bridge should be responsive to environmental conditions, and experienced all year round.
Translucent material allows for new ways to experience the Brooklyn Bridge, as pedestrians can enjoy the roadway by looking down or by looking up. Removable colored film can further engage local artists.
Powered by kinetic paving, an LED and projection system is mobilized to honor the city’s cultures, histories, and identities.
Beyond the bridge, art installations can emerge across New York City- magical holograms can be projected onto a fountain mist produced by the water of the East River, set against the backdrop of the Brooklyn Bridge and Lower Manhattan skyline.
By reimagining the bridge in tandem with its neighbours, we hope to reinforce the intimate relationships shared among them. A transparent OLED display can be installed at the facade of Jane’s Carousel to preserve the visibility of its stunning interior whilst responding to closures due to COVID.
In consideration of mobility and accessibility options for all bodies, we propose a set of stairs and ramps at the bridge's towers. This encourages users to seamlessly experience both the upper and lower walkways.
This sectional diagram represents our vision for phasing. The roadway closure phases can be implemented virtually immediately, responding to the social distancing needs demanded by the on-going pandemic.
In the News
Wall Street Journal: "Glass Walkways and Green Spaces: Designers Reimagine the Brooklyn Bridge Experience" (July 2020)
Designboom: "Reimagining Brooklyn Bridge Competition Winners: Glass Walkways & Urban Forests" (August 2020)
ArchDaily: "Multidisciplinary Team Led by Pilot Projects Design Collective Wins Reimagining Brooklyn Bridge Competition" (August 2020)
The Architect's Newspaper: "Winners of Reimagining Brooklyn Bridge Competition Add Greenery & Glass to Historic Span" (August 2020)
6sqft: "Winning Design Proposal Brings Better Mobility and Biodiverse Microforests to the Brooklyn Bridge" (August 2020)
Untapped Cities: "Brooklyn Bridge Design Competition Offers Striking Visions of the Future" (August 2020)
Barnard College Magazine: "Bridge to the Future" (Winter 2021)
Barnard College News : "A Decade of New Game Changers" (March 2024)