Every October, Open House New York (OHNY) provides unprecedented access to more than 250 buildings and projects across New York City. As part of that effort, Dattner Architects was excited to share a glimpse into two of our award-winning projects as well as a behind-the-scenes look into our firm for OHNY’s annual OHNY Weekend.
Open Studio at Dattner Architects
On Saturday, October 19, we opened our doors for an Open Studio tour of our office – illustrating how we approach civic architecture.
Along our studio pin-up wall, we showcased select works-in-progress across our four studios, including 425 Grand Concourse, 2840 Atlantic, 116th Precinct Station House, Brooklyn District 3 Garage, and CUNY Bronx Express. Pin-up space was also dedicated to showcasing our firm culture, industry involvement, and commitment to professional development.
As a mission-driven firm, focused on enriching civic space and the urban experience, Dattner Architects has completed hundreds of projects across the city, some large, others small – all a part of our ever-expanding portfolio. To celebrate this commitment to transforming environments and strengthening communities, we ran an internal photo contest titled: OUR CITY. OUR PROJECTS.
With 54 years of projects to choose from, Dattner Architects staff were tasked with taking photos of one of our completed projects. It could be a detail, an interior, or exterior. The only requirements were that it was a photo they personally took, that it was one of our NYC-based projects, and that the project was built/completed. All photo entries were then curated into an exhibition along the pin-up wall.
We invited John Hill – architect, author, and friend of the firm – to judge the contest. At an awards reception held at our office on Wednesday, October 16, John spoke about the winning photos as well as his general observations on NYC architecture. First, second, and third place prizes were awarded with winners receiving a signed copy of John’s recent book, NYC Walks: Guide to New Architecture, as well as gift cards to local restaurants and businesses.
OHNY visitors were invited to bring their own photos of one of our completed NYC projects on the day of our Open Studio. Those that participated pinned up their photos alongside the featured exhibition and received a Dattner Architects’ tote bag as a gift. Staff and visitors were encouraged to take a selfie at our photo booth as a keepsake and token of our gratitude.
M125 Garage & Salt Shed Tours
On Sunday, October 20, we were joined by NYC Department of Sanitation’s (DSNY) Assistant Chief Keith Mellis for tours of the award-winning Manhattan Districts 1/2/5 Garage and Spring Street Salt Shed. Two of the City’s newest iconic structures, these critical infrastructure facilities have been embraced by the West Village community. OHNY visitors were given a behind-the-scenes look at how the City’s waste stream is managed and heard from Dattner Architects and WXY team members on the design process and value of these important community facilities.
