Tidal Nexus: An Immersive Pier
The East River in New York has long played a vital economic and industrial role in the past. However, lingering contamination has kept people from fully engaging with its waters. As its water quality improves, its relationship with New Yorkers is shifting. Once seen primarily as a polluted and hazardous waterway, the river now has the potential to become a site for recreation, research, and ecological restoration. Situated at the former site of Pier 4, which was destroyed by Hurricane Sandy, this new underwater pier provides researchers and the public with a unique opportunity to explore and experience the hidden world beneath the East River’s surface. Designed to respond to tidal changes, the pier transforms throughout the day, creating dynamic spatial arrangements that offer ever-changing perspectives of the waterscape.
Exterior View with Tidal Change
Interior View with Tidal Change
Plan & Section
At high tide, water cascades through a slot in the roof, creating "curtains" that define smaller zones for quiet study. The sound of falling water, acting as a form of white noise, serves as an acoustic barrier that encourages focused learning.
At low tide, these "curtains" disappear, expanding the central space to allow for fluid, unrestricted movement that encourages communication and knowledge sharing. As a result, the program and atmosphere of the space shift every six hours, responding to the tidal fluctuations of the East River.
