COURTESY NYC DOT
A new municipal project in New York is seeking design proposals for an “iconic contemporary neighborhood marker” to be built at the intersection of Chinatown and Little Italy. Proposals for the project, under the rubric of “Gateways to Chinatown” and supported with a promised $900,000 budget, will be accepted until June 19, with work for the winner to begin in early 2018. The program marks a new collaboration between the New York City Department of Transportation with the Chinatown Partnership and Van Alen Institute
In a statement, New York’s transportation commissioner Polly Trottenberg said, “Canal Street, one of New York City’s busiest thoroughfares, deserves a culturally significant gateway that can welcome the millions of shoppers and tourists that annually flock to the pulsing streets.”
Over the past decade, Chinatown has become an increasingly integral area for New York’s art community, boasting a long list of current and former galleries that includes Canada, Gavin Brown’s Enterprise, Reena Spaulings Fine Art, and many more. “The Gateways project presents the opportunity to celebrate lower Manhattan’s rich culture and to attract visitors to our local businesses and community,” said New York State Assembly member Yuh-Line Niou. “I commend the city and all the project partners as ‘Gateways to Chinatown’ kicks off.”
Information and guidelines for proposals can be found here.