Pier 53 + Marine Company 1

Project by CDR Studio (Project Manager: Anke Roggenbuck)

MC1 is a project for the Fire Department of New York City and the Hudson River Park Trust.  It is the last remaining fireboat company on the island of Manhattan.  The site is located on Pier 53 at the edge of the West Village. The natural conditions of the Hudson River, weather and resultant weathering is considered as an opportunity for an innovative and durable solution. 

 The project brings together 3 distinct programs as a stack: an apparatus (fire truck) and naval staging area for the boat, a communal space for the company as well as private areas of rest and bathing. The pier level includes a drive-through garage and staging area. The second level is a series of shearing zones connecting yet distinguishing shared activities.  The third level is an array of private spaces centered on the inner core of the locker room. 

The form profile and massing of the building shelters the pier areas from the predominant winds and sheds snow away from the boat itself.  MC1 seeks to present a simple yet iconic form as a public presence on the waterfront of Manhattan.

Location: Pier 53, Manhattan

Size: 7,300 (Pier) + 9,000 sf (Building)

Completed: 2011

Budget: Pier + Dock: $8  Mio;  Building: $6.3  Mio

Un-built Merit Award 2011 AIA NY Chapter

Project Merit Award 2012 AIA NY Chapter

Design Award 2013 AIA NYS

Photography: John Muggenborg