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Rising nearly 70 feet, the shed houses 5,000 tons of salt and marks the historic location where the former canal enclosing Lower Manhattan met the Hudson River. The Salt Shed’s solid, crystalline form acts as a counterpoint to the diaphanous, scrim-like façade of the Manhattan 1/2/5 Garage, directly across Spring Street to the north.

Rising nearly 70 feet, the shed houses 5,000 tons of salt and marks the historic location where the former canal enclosing Lower Manhattan met the Hudson River. The Salt Shed’s solid, crystalline form acts as a counterpoint to the diaphanous, scrim-like façade of the Manhattan 1/2/5 Garage, directly across Spring Street to the north.

The Salt Shed’s faceted planes enliven the cast-in-place concrete enclosure. The structure tapers toward the bottom, creating more pedestrian space. The shed emerges from a moat of textured glass paving, further contributing to the enigmatic and iconic nature of this place in the city.

Architectural concrete was a natural material selection for the Salt Shed, serving as both the building structure and exterior finish, eliminating the need for additional materials. The smooth finish and light color of the cast-in-place concrete emphasizes the form of the building, while its natural color variations, which will resemble the color of salt with more exposure to sunlight, provide a grounded appearance—resonating with the salt contained within.

The Salt Shed’s faceted planes enliven the cast-in-place concrete enclosure. The structure tapers toward the bottom, creating more pedestrian space. The shed emerges from a moat of textured glass paving, further contributing to the enigmatic and iconic nature of this place in the city.

Architectural concrete was a natural material selection for the Salt Shed, serving as both the building structure and exterior finish, eliminating the need for additional materials. The smooth finish and light color of the cast-in-place concrete emphasizes the form of the building, while its natural color variations, which will resemble the color of salt with more exposure to sunlight, provide a grounded appearance—resonating with the salt contained within.

The design of the Salt Shed had to reconcile several conflicting factors—a community resisting its realization; finding a form suitable for its important location; and safely storing salt for seasonal distribution. While the structure’s form embraces salt, materials were chosen to prevent its corrosive effects: the concrete admixture is self-waterproofing and a hardener was applied to the concrete floor.

The design of the Salt Shed had to reconcile several conflicting factors—a community resisting its realization; finding a form suitable for its important location; and safely storing salt for seasonal distribution. While the structure’s form embraces salt, materials were chosen to prevent its corrosive effects: the concrete admixture is self-waterproofing and a hardener was applied to the concrete floor.

Location
New York, NY
Area
6,300 sf
Completion
2015
Clients
NYC Department of Sanitation
NYC Department of Design and Construction
Collaborators
WXY architecture + urban design
Recognition
AIA—COTE Top Ten Award
AIA—Honor Architecture Award
AIA NY—Architecture Honor Award
AIA NYS—Design Award for Excellence
Municipal Art Society—MASterworks Best New Building Award
NYC Art Commission—Design Award
SARA—Design Award
SARA NY—Design Award for Sustainability
Village Voice—Best of NYC Award, Best of Culture: Best Warehouse
View Project Facts
Location
New York, NY
Area
6,300 sf
Completion
2015
Clients
NYC Department of Sanitation
NYC Department of Design and Construction
Collaborators
WXY architecture + urban design
Recognition
AIA—COTE Top Ten Award
AIA—Honor Architecture Award
AIA NY—Architecture Honor Award
AIA NYS—Design Award for Excellence
Municipal Art Society—MASterworks Best New Building Award
NYC Art Commission—Design Award
SARA—Design Award
SARA NY—Design Award for Sustainability
Village Voice—Best of NYC Award, Best of Culture: Best Warehouse
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