People on a bridge taking photos and playing with bubbles, city skyline at night and daytime in the background, with a person in the foreground capturing the scene on a smartphone.

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.

Diagram illustrating sustainable design for the Brooklyn Bridge, including translucent flooring above girders, solar-kinetic paving attached to girders, manifestations of energy produced, and the bridge's structure.

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
Client: Van Alen Institute and New York City Council
Role: Team Lead

Applications
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.

People shopping at an outdoor market on a bridge with vendor stalls and merchandise on tables, with reflections of people walking and holding hands on the bridge's glass overhead.

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.

People enjoying winter activities on the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City during a snowfall, with some walking, cycling, or playing in the snow.

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.

A happy brown dog with curly fur and a blue collar is on a metal bridge, with a colorful art installation overhead featuring various vibrant paintings and artworks.

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.

Nighttime cityscape featuring a bridge illuminated with colorful lights and a large image of a face wearing a face mask projected onto the bridge's pillar, with other bridge structures and city buildings in the background.

Powered by kinetic paving, an LED and projection system is mobilized to honor the city’s cultures, histories, and identities.

Nighttime view of a digital hologram of a whale over a river, with a bridge in the background, and three children watching in the foreground.

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.

City park scene at dusk with people walking, a glass building reflecting the sky, a carousel, and a suspension bridge in the background.

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.

Architectural rendering of a bridge with multiple levels and staircases, showing pedestrians and cyclists, with a large brick tower and modern glass building in the background.

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.

Diagram showing the evolution of a multi-level transportation walkway over four phases from fall 2020 to spring 2023, depicting gradual changes in pedestrian, vehicle, cyclist, express, human-powered transport, and emergency vehicle areas, with color-coded icons, and a legend at the bottom.

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.

A digital artwork of the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City with children playing and bubbles floating, overlaid with a person taking a photo of the scene on a smartphone, with city skyscrapers in the background.
A webpage introduces the team with photos and descriptions of three individuals: Shannon Hui, Kwans Kim, and Yujin Kim. The page features the title 'Meet the Team', and text about each person's background and interests.
Blueprint of the Brooklyn Bridge with guiding principles overlaid in white text: 1. Preservation: The current form and aura of the bridge must be preserved, and any enhancements should be unobstructive or reversible. 2. A Wide Scope: As a premier lan
A digital presentation slide showing an overview of urban design projects with five sections: a marketplace with people shopping, dancers in traditional clothing, a bridge with LED projection, a digital wireframe of a whale with space elements, and a
A pink-tinted image of the Brooklyn Bridge with people walking and playing on the glass walkway, with city skyscrapers in the background. Someone is taking a photo of the scene with a smartphone.
View of Brooklyn Bridge in New York City with cars driving on the road, pedestrians walking on the sidewalk, and the Manhattan skyline in the background during cloudy weather.
A digitally edited photo of the Brooklyn Bridge with people walking, a group of dancers in colorful traditional clothing performing, and a hot dog stand, with city skyscrapers in the background and overlay of text, the headline reads "Girders, Reimag
A glass walkway above a city skyline features cultural performances, art installations, vendors, and community engagement activities, with annotations indicating support for vendors and a glass walkway providing extra width.
Aerial view of a bridge over a body of water with a glass walkway pattern diagram overlay. The diagram explains translucent and frosted glass segments, inspired by the bridge's design.
A dog standing on a glass walkway beneath a colorful mural with annotations describing the artwork, a bridge, and the walkway features.
A cyclist riding on the colorful Williamsburg Bridge in New York City, with a red safety railing and a partially covered bicycle path with rainbow-colored glass artwork overhead.
A snowy scene on Brooklyn Bridge withpeople walking, biking, and children sledding. The image highlights preserved architectural form, expanded pedestrian space, elevated walkway, pathway partitioned for safer experience, and kinetic paving, with the
A pink overlayed image of a bridge with a sitting dog in the foreground and a person walking on the bridge in the background. Overlaid text includes guiding phrases and a highlighted menu item for 'Reclaimed Roadway'.
View of the Brooklyn Bridge from a moving vehicle on the roadway, with cars driving on the bridge on a sunny day with a blue sky.
People shopping at an outdoor marketplace under a bridge with various stalls selling crafts, clothing, and souvenirs.
A bustling Brooklyn Bridge Flea Market on a sunny day with vendors and patrons shopping. The bridge's structure is visible in the background with a glass walkway overhead. Market stalls display various goods with some shaded by glass walkways. Besch
Image of the Brooklyn Bridge illuminated at night with a pink overlay, along with a list highlighting features like glass walkway, reclaimed roadway, kinetic pavers, projections, and light displays.
Pink informational poster explaining the concept of kinetic paving with three sections: Traffic depicted by a shoe icon, Energy with a lightning bolt icon, and User Experience with a smartphone icon. Text describes how kinetic paving is installed on
Pink infographic about kinetic paving, showing icons of people, handshake, lightbulb, and arrows indicating connectivity among reimagines traffic, human interaction, technology, with descriptions about their roles in urban lighting, social unity, and
Nighttime view of Brooklyn Bridge with illuminated cables and towers, reflecting on the water, with city skyline in the background, and text indicating 'Lighting Today' and descriptions of 'Kinetic Pavers, Projections, Light Displays'.
Night view of a bridge with colorful projections on its pillars and a city skyline in the background.
Nighttime view of the Brooklyn Bridge with projections of civil and cultural images, including the Statue of Liberty wearing a surgical mask, displayed on the bridge's towers and cables, highlighting themes of vigilance and pandemic awareness.
A person holding a smartphone in front of the Brooklyn Bridge with digital annotations overlayed. The annotations describe an augmented reality app for public engagement, highlighting historical facts, upcoming events, and feedback polls, with some i
Map of Brooklyn, New York, highlighting locations for kinetic-powered light displays with images of each installation, including city landmarks, bridge, waterfront, and park areas.
A modern, transparent LED display on the facade of Jane's Carousel at Brooklyn Bridge Park, Brooklyn, at dusk, with people walking nearby and the Brooklyn Bridge in the background.
Nighttime view of Brooklyn Bridge with holograms of a whale and fountain mist projected onto the water, with onlookers watching.
Night view of a park avenue with trees decorated with colorful lights, and a sign that reads "Juneteenth Grove".
Night view of the Brooklyn War Memorial with an engraved inscription and statues on its facade, under a dark sky with trees in the background.
Nighttime photograph of a large mural at Cadman Plaza Park in Brooklyn depicting a woman in a nurse's uniform with a mask, flexing her arm in a fist. The mural pays homage to frontline COVID-19 heroes, with neon lights illuminating it, contrasting wi
Light display inside an underground brick tunnel with projections of abstract patterns, highlighting an installation of a decorative metal cube, with two people observing it.
Nighttime view of City Hall in Manhattan with colorful Pride light projections on its facade.
Diagram of Brooklyn Bridge with labeled sections including Glass Walkway, Reclaimed Roadway, Kinetic Pavers and Light Displays, and Access, with pedestrians, cyclists, and stairs.
Design proposal for bridge arches featuring a platform with stairs and ramps on each side for pedestrian and bike access, set against the Brooklyn Bridge.
Illustration of an elevated bridge with a staircase connecting two levels, showing pedestrians, cyclists, and people walking. The scene highlights accessibility features for different needs, with labels and descriptions about the bridge's design for
Overview of Brooklyn Bridge Boulevard from Manhattan to Brooklyn, showing inner car lanes, bike lane, cars, and pedestrians along the street with buildings and trees in the background.
An urban street scene showing the Brooklyn Bridge Boulevard with designated lanes for cars, bikes, and pedestrians. Text and labels indicate bike lane merging with traffic, green lane for bike exit, and purple lanes for pedestrian promenade. Several
City street scene with pedestrians at a crosswalk, surrounding tall buildings, some trees, and a cloudy sky. Text overlay indicating existing car lanes on Centre Street from Manhattan to Brooklyn, and a bike lane reclaimed from an inner car lane.
A street view in Manhattan with new bike lane infrastructure, including signage, barriers, and bike markings, along with pedestrians and cyclists. Text overlays explain lane conversions, crossing, and access points.
Map of Brooklyn waterways and parks, including Brooklyn Bridge Park, FDR Drive Converted Park, City Hall Park, Brooklyn Banks Skatepark, Empire Fulton Ferry Park, Cadman Plaza Park, Clumber Corner, and Anchorage Plaza, with pathways and water feature
A map showing pedestrian and cyclist pathways, bike parking, and opportunities for public space in Cadman Plaza Park and surrounding streets in Brooklyn, New York, with color-coded routes for cyclists (green), pedestrians and skaters (purple), pedest
Before and after images showing the transformation of old car lanes into a public green space in Brooklyn. The before photo depicts a traffic lane with cars, while the after image shows a wooden pathway with trees, benches, and people walking and sit
Map showing Brooklyn Bridge Park, Cadman Plaza Park, Clumber Corner, Empire Fulton Ferry Park, Anchorage Plaza, Brooklyn Banks Skatepark, City Hall Park, and FDR Drive converted park, with pathways, water, and city buildings marked.
Map of Brooklyn Bridge Park, showing bike lanes in pink, pedestrian and scooter paths in purple, bicycle routes in green, and public spaces in green areas along the waterfront, with street names and park labels.
Diagram showing the process of creating ground-level access points at the center of a Brooklyn bridge, including a before image of a stone bridge corner with a yellow location marker and an after image of a ladder installed at the arches, with an ele
A 3D map showing a city with a river running through it. Key locations labeled include Cadman Plaza Park, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Empire Fulton Ferry Park, Brooklyn Banks Skatepark, City Hall Park, and Brooklyn Bridge. The map depicts pathways and tran
Map showing biking, pedestrian, and public space plans around Brooklyn Banks Skatepark in New York City, with color-coded routes and nearby parks.
A design board showing a before and after comparison of a city park renovation in Manhattan. The 'after' image depicts a redesigned park with open connections to the street, opportunities for greenspace and native foliage, and kinetic paving, contras
Diagram illustrating phased development of urban transit infrastructure from fall 2020 to spring 2023, showing pedestrian, vehicle, cyclist, express, human-powered transport, and emergency zones, with timeline markings and different walkway configura
People on the Brooklyn Bridge engaging in activities such as taking photos and playing with bubbles against a backdrop of New York City skyline at night, with one person capturing the scene on a smartphone.

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)

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