|
|
|
|
|
Trinity Church Parish House and Pedestrian Bridge New York, NY
|
A three-level parish house was carved out of two office buildings across from the historic Trinity Church. In joining the buildings, one five stories and the other 30, an existing air shaft was used to create a skylit foyer and central stair. Ramps and a special lift make the parish house accessible to the handicapped. Besides offices, classrooms, and dining rooms for 250 persons, the parish house has closed circuit TV for Christian education programs and exhibit systems for historic communion vessels and early rectors' vestments.
Trinity Church Pedestrian Bridge spans Trinity Place and links the church with its parish house. The program for this bridge developed out of a concern for the safety of the mothers, children, and elderly who participate in the extensive community programs and cross the busy street to travel between the church grounds and its parish house. The goal was to design a fully accessible footbridge that would solve a growing need, fit comfortably into the historic surroundings, and maintain the integrity of the landmarked Trinity Church.
The flat-arched, 85-foot long structure was inspired by the cast iron Bridge which spanned Broadway in 1866. It was fabricated with arc-welded steel and ornamental iron railings which are formed with a series of cross braces and bronze medallions etched with Trinity's coat of arms. A lacy structure that is only 16á inches deep at its 17-foot-high midpoint, the design frames the view down Trinity Place, one of the last open vistas in the area. Because of its relationship to the landmark church, the bridge required the approval of the Landmarks Commission as well as ten other city agencies.
This project has been awarded an American Institute of Architects Award of Excellence, the Prize Bridge Award from the American Institute of Steel Construction, Inc., and a Certificate of Engineering Excellence from the New York Association of Consulting Engineers. |
|
For more information contact:
Lee Harris Pomeroy Associates / Architect
s |
