Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Public Design Commission President James P. Stuckey today honored seven public projects for excellence in design, and also announced that the Art Commission was renamed the Public Design Commission of the City of New York. The Design Commission was renamed to better reflect the design review work it has undertaken for decades. Since 1982, the Design Commission has recognized outstanding public projects with its Annual Awards for Excellence in Design. This year more than ever before, the winning projects reflect the City's movement toward sustainable design, epitomized by PlaNYC, the effort to strengthen New York City's urban environment. With PlaNYC in mind, the Design Commission held this year's awards ceremony in The Times Center, the state-of-the-art cultural center and performance space of The New York Times Building, which opened in 2007.

"Since we launched PlaNYC on Earth Day 2007, we have been committed to becoming more environmentally-friendly and making New York the world's first truly sustainable City," said Mayor Bloomberg. "Because most New Yorkers take mass transit instead of driving, nearly 80 percent of all our greenhouse gas emissions comes from buildings. This is where we need to focus our efforts - so it's very encouraging to see that all of tonight's winners have incorporated sustainable and energy-saving features into their designs."

"I would like to thank Mayor Bloomberg and First Deputy Mayor Patricia E. Harris for their unwavering support of design excellence and their ongoing commitment to the Design Commission," said Design Commission President Stuckey. "Good design has the power to improve people's lives, and we are thrilled this evening to, once again, be honoring a vast range of public projects."

The winning projects are selected by the members of the commission from the hundreds of submissions reviewed each year, and exemplify the highest design standards. The winners are the following:

Construction of streetscape improvements, including the installation of an artwork by Brian Tolle
Flatbush Avenue from Tillary Street to Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn
A Project of the Department of City Planning, the Department of Transportation, the Economic Development Corporation and the Department of Cultural Affairs' Percent for Art Program
Donna Walcavage, EDAW
Brian Tolle, Artist

Construction of the 121st Police Precinct
970 Richmond Avenue, Staten Island
A Project of the Department of Design and Construction and the Police Department
Rafael Viñoly, Rafael Viñoly Architects

Installation of signage as part of the rehabilitation of Flatbush Caton Market
814 Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn
A Project of the Department of Design and Construction, the Department of Small Business Services and the Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Alexandra Ching and David Akey, Department of Design and Construction

Installation of Wall Drawing #1252: Scribbles (Pier 88) by Sol LeWitt
Passenger Ship Terminal, Pier 88, West Side Highway and 48th Street, Manhattan
A Project of the Economic Development Corporation and the Department of Cultural Affairs' Percent for Art Program
Sol LeWitt, Artist

Construction of the Children's Library Center, Queens Central Library
89-25 Merrick Boulevard, Queens
A Project of the Department of Design and Construction and the Queens Library
Juergen Riehm, 1100: ARCHITECT

Construction of the Bronx River House and adjacent site work
Starlight Park, East 174th Street, the Sheridan Expressway and the Bronx River, Bronx
A Project of the Department of Parks & Recreation
Gregory Kiss, Kiss + Cathcart, Architects

Special Recognition Award for Expansion of the Hospital for Special Surgery
East 70th Street to East 72nd Street and the FDR Drive, Manhattan
A Project of the Hospital for Special Surgery in cooperation with the City of New York
Henry Smith-Miller, Smith-Miller + Hawkinson Architects
Ernesto Trindade, Cannon Design
Mostafa Elmorsi, Ysrael A. Seinuk
Robert A. Heintges, R.A. Heintges & Associates

The New York Times Building features numerous environmentally sustainable innovations, including a screen of ceramic rods that block half of the sun's energy; ultra-clear low-iron glass that allows abundant natural light; an advanced dimmable lighting system; and a dynamic shading system with real energy savings of 30 percent. It was designed by the Pritzker Prize-winning architect Renzo Piano in association with FXFOWLE Architects. The Times Center is home to TimesTalks, on-going discussions between Times journalists and prominent newsmakers across all fields, and many other cultural and community affairs programs.

The Design Commission is New York City's design review agency. Established in 1898, the Commission reviews permanent works of art, architecture and landscape architecture proposed on or over City-owned property. Projects include new construction, renovation or restoration of buildings, such as museums and libraries; creation or rehabilitation of parks and playgrounds; installation of lighting and other streetscape elements; and design, installation and conservation of artwork. The Design Commission is composed of 11 members, who serve pro bono, and includes an architect, landscape architect, painter and sculptor as well as representatives of the Brooklyn Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the New York Public Library.