City Unveils Updated Sidewalk Shed

NEW YORK CITY-The Bloomberg administration’s attempts to build a better sidewalk shed have borne fruit in the form of a winning design by a University of Pennsylvania architecture student. In announcing the winning design Thursday afternoon, the Department of Buildings said it would make the design a standard and encourage the real estate and construction industries to adopt it, although it will not be required.

Currently, there are about 6,000 sidewalk sheds, which are installed to protect pedestrians from construction or building maintenance work, in use around New York City. The design has remained largely unchanged since the 1950s. “This design is a perfect way to improve safety and the quality of life for all New Yorkers,” buildings commissioner Robert LiMandri says in a statement. “This new design is great for building owners because less of your building will be hidden, and it’s great for pedestrians because there’s more space to walk, run or shop than ever before.”

The DOB says installation costs for the new design are expected to be in line with those for the current design, but long-term maintenance and installations costs for the new structures will be lower. “The new design will not be mandated, but it will be in the interest of contractors to use the new design due to the reduce maintenance costs and in the interest of building owners and affected businesses, as the new design will obstruct less of a building’s façade,” according to the DOB.

The winner of the city’s urbanSHED International Design Competition, “Urban Umbrella,” was developed by Young-Hwan Choi, a 28-year-old first-year student from the University of Pennsylvania. It was selected from 164 designs submitted by architects, engineers, designers and students from 28 countries around the world. According to a release, Choi will receive a $10,000 prize, and the Alliance for Downtown New York will fund the construction of a prototype at a Lower Manhattan construction site. Along with the city, the American Institute of Architects and the New York Building Congress also sponsored the competiion.