FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PR- 054-04 March 10, 2004 MAYOR MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG UNVEILS FIVE FINALIST DESIGNS FOR PROPOSED 2012 OLYMPIC VILLAGE Two-Week Design Exhibit at Vanderbilt Hall, Grand Central Terminal Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Queens Borough President Helen Marshall, and NYC2012, the committee leading New York’s bid for the Olympic Games in 2012, today made public the five finalist designs for the proposed Olympic Village. The proposed site of the Olympic Village is Queens West on the East River across from the United Nations. The Village would house 16,000 athletes and members of the Olympic Family in the center of New York’s Olympic X plan. After the Olympics, the development would provide world-class residential housing for up to 18,000 New Yorkers. The winning design will be the basis of NYC2012’s Olympic Village proposal in the Candidature File to be submitted to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on November 15, 2004. Today’s event included presentations by each of the five architects and launched a two-week exhibit, at Vanderbilt Hall in Grand Central Terminal, and public review period, which is part of the selection process before a winning design is announced in May. The five finalists were picked from more than 130 entries from all over the world, and they are: Henning Larsens Tegnestue A/S – HLT (Copenhagen, Denmark), MVRDV (Rotterdam, The Netherlands), Morphosis (Santa Monica, CA, USA), Smith-Miller + Hawkinson Architects (New York, NY, USA) and Zaha Hadid Architects (London, United Kingdom). “The 2012 Olympics Games would have an unprecedented and enduring impact on New York City, and the benefits would be felt in all five boroughs,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “The Olympic Games would create 125,000 jobs, and pump $11 billion into our economy. It would spur the largest investment in parks and recreation facilities in the City’s history - all privately paid for. And it would give us the once in a lifetime opportunity to transform what is now a largely abandoned and blighted stretch of the East River waterfront in Queens into a stunning new residential community. Designing the Olympic Village is a breathtaking project, and should we be lucky enough to be chosen to host the Games, Queens will provide a spectacular home away from home for the world’s greatest athletes. I thank the five finalists for their stunning effort, and NYC2012 and Deputy Mayor Dan Doctoroff for their hard work towards making our Olympic dreams a reality.” Charles A. Gargano, Chairman of Empire State Development and Vice Chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said, “These designs are an exciting indicator of the tremendous benefits that the 2012 Olympic Games would bring to the Borough of Queens and New York City. On behalf of the Port Authority and Empire State Development, I’d like to congratulate the five finalists for their outstanding work.” “These spectacular designs put the athletes at the center of a New York Games and uphold the true spirit of the Olympic Movement while forming the model for future urban housing,” said Daniel L. Doctoroff, Deputy Mayor for Economic Development and Rebuilding and Founder of NYC2012. “With the exhibit and public review period, the people of New York will continue their opportunity to share in the Olympic dream and preview the city’s future, as well.” First announced in September 2003, Phase One of the Design Study began with the issuance for a Request for Qualifications (RFQ), which was open to all designers and architects, regardless of nationality. An 8-member Design Review Panel, which evaluated all entries in terms of qualifications and design concepts, included experts in architecture, urban design, landscape architecture, environmental planning, and housing, as well as an Olympian: Gary Hack, Dean, University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Fine Arts; Con Howe, Planning Director, City of Los Angeles; Ronay Menschel, Chairperson, Phipps Houses; Laurie D. Olin, Landscape Architect; Will Rogers, President, Trust for Public Land; Moshe Safdie, Architect; Dejan Sudjic, Architecture Critic; and Cristina Teuscher, Olympian (Swimming, 1996: Gold, 2000: Bronze). The five finalists participated in a 14-week planning and design study, overseen by Alexander Garvin, NYC2012’s Director of Planning. The current evaluation and public review comment period is an integral part of the final round of the process. The public is urged to comment on the designs online (www.nyc2012.com) beginning on March 10th, while concurrently, NYC2012 staff assesses the viability of the plans. The winner will be announced in May 2004. The host city for the 2012 Olympic Games will be selected by the IOC on July 6, 2005 in Singapore. Queens West is a joint project of New York State, New York City and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, overseen by the Queens West Development Corporation (www.queenswest.org), a subsidiary of the Empire State Development Corporation. For over a decade, the City has worked with QWDC to revitalize a 73-acre site along the Long Island City/Hunter’s Point waterfront, develop new housing, and create publicly accessible waterfront open space. The QWDC has spearheaded the Citilights and Avalon West buildings and has secured a commitment from the Rockrose Corporation to develop seven residential buildings containing approximately 3,200 residential units. Should the New York City be awarded the 2012 Olympic Games, the Olympic Village would occupy the southern portion of Queens West and complete the planned redevelopment of the area. The Architects On The Designs: Henning Larsens Tegnestue A/S - HLT(Copenhagen, Denmark) Morphosis (Santa Monica, California, USA) Smith-Miller + Hawkinson Architects (New York, NY, USA) Zaha Hadid Architects (London, United Kingdom) MEDIA CONTACT: Edward Skyler / Jennifer Falk (212) 788-2958 Laz Benitez (NYC2012) (646) 587-5426 |
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