Public pavilion in Manhattan, New York
The Winter Garden Atrium
is a 120 ft (37 m), 10-story glass-
vaulted
pavilion on
Vesey Street
in
New York City
's
Brookfield Place
(formerly World Financial Center) office complex. Designed by
Diana Balmori
, the Atrium was originally constructed in 1988, and substantially rebuilt in 2002, after it was damaged by the
collapse of the World Trade Center
during the
September 11 attacks
. The Atrium houses various plants, trees, flowers, and shops. The rear of the building opens onto the World Financial Center Plaza and the
North Cove Yacht Harbor
on the
Hudson River
. Over the years, the Atrium has become home to various exhibits and holiday displays.
History
[
edit
]
The Winter Garden Atrium, along with the rest of the World Financial Center, was designed by architect
Cesar Pelli
in 1985. It was inaugurated on October 14, 1988 and had a total cost of $60 million.
[1]
[2]
[3]
The Atrium was originally connected to the
World Trade Center
via a 400 ft (120 m)
pedestrian bridge
that spanned
West Street
.
It was severely damaged in the
September 11, 2001 attacks
as several of the glass panes were blown out by the dust clouds and debris caused by the
collapse of the World Trade Center
, but was rebuilt during the first year of the Financial Center's recovery.
[4]
Reconstruction of the Winter Garden required 2,000 panes of glass, 60,000 square feet (5,400 m
2
) of marble flooring and stairs, and sixteen 40 ft (12 m)
Washingtonia robusta
palm trees at a cost of $50 million.
[5]
Reopened on September 17, 2002, the Winter Garden was the first major structure to be completely restored following the attacks.
[6]
President
George W. Bush
was present at the reopening ceremony.
[5]
The pedestrian bridge was destroyed in the same attacks and was initially replaced by windows facing the former site of the World Trade Center.
[7]
In 2013, the site of the former pedestrian bridge was partially replaced with a large glass atrium, primarily serving as the entrance to an underground tunnel concourse leading to the
World Trade Center PATH station
. Preliminary plans called for the demolition of the Grand Staircase, which was the main focal entry point to the former pedestrian bridge. The Grand Staircase has also been used as an amphitheater; thus, the plans for demolition had outraged residents, who promptly appealed for its preservation.
[8]
[9]
Exhibits
[
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]
Since its construction, the Winter Garden Atrium has hosted concerts and symphonies as part of the World Financial Center Series. Upon its reopening in 2002, the atrium held ballets, concerts, a performance by the
Big Apple Circus
, and a production of
The Downtown Messiah
, a modern interpretation of
Handel
's classical oratorio, directed by
Richard Barone
.
[10]
In early 2003, the
Lower Manhattan Development Corporation
installed an exhibit documenting the recovery process of the World Trade Center in the atrium. The exhibit included early designs of Libeskind's
Freedom Tower
.
[11]
Later that year, the eight finalists in the competition for the new buildings had their designs unveiled and displayed in the atrium.
[12]
The Winter Garden continues to serve as a venue for art exhibits, music, and shows, as well as hosting movie screenings during the
TriBeCa Film Festival
.
Luminaries
[
edit
]
In 2015, designer
David Rockwell
was commissioned to design a holiday display for the Winter Garden. Drawing inspiration from the festive
Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree
, he created the "Luminaries", an interactive installation of 650 lanterns that hang from the ceiling of the Winter Garden.
[13]
At the beginning of every hour between 8 AM and 10 PM, the Luminaries displayed a special light show featuring one of the following songs:
Winter Wonderland
by
Michael Buble
,
Silver Bells
by
Tony Bennett
,
Carol of the Bells
by
The Bird and The Bee
, and
Let It Snow
by
Pentatonix
. Outside of the light show, visitors would be able to change the colors of these lanterns at the 'wishing station', which consists of three touch-sensitive cubes that control the lights. For each visitor interaction, Brookfield made a $1 donation, up to $25,000, to Outreach, an organization that helps support youth struggling with substance abuse.
[14]
Winter Biergarten
[
edit
]
In 2018, the Winter Garden transformed into a Winter
Biergarten
while hosting
5 Borough Challenge: Best Brews of NYC
every Thursday from February 22 to March 15.
[15]
Each night, guests were able to sample brews from five breweries, one from each of the five boroughs. While tasting these samples, they could play games, listen to music, and cast a vote for their favorite brewery.
[16]
Breweries featured included globally-renowned ones such as
Brooklyn Brewery
and less-known ones such as Kills Boro Brewing Company.
[17]
The event was held in partnership with New Yorkers for Parks, a non-profit organization dedicated to building and protecting open spaces throughout New York City. A total of $46,000 was raised from the beer sales by the end of the multi-week event, and 100% of these proceeds went to New Yorkers for Parks.
[18]
A Dozen Dreams
[
edit
]
In 2021, the Winter Garden was home to "A Dozen Dreams", an immersive art installation commissioned by
En Garde Arts
. They asked 12 female playwrights to describe their dreams during the pandemic.
[19]
Artistic director
Anne Hamburger
, along with former director John Clinton Eisner and designer Irina Kruzhilina, then brought these descriptions to life in twelve separate rooms.
[20]
At the entrance of the installation, visitors were given headphones to listen to recorded audio descriptions of the dreams written and performed by the playwrights themselves.
[21]
[22]
Each of these recordings was 3 minutes and 30 seconds long, and visitors were allowed to move at their own pace.
[23]
In December 2021, the exhibit was featured in
New York Times
' "Best Theater of 2021".
[24]
Gallery
[
edit
]
-
Exterior of the Winter Garden Atrium from the riverside in 2008
-
The damaged Winter Garden after the 9/11 attacks
-
Interior of the Winter Garden Atrium in 2017
-
Winter Garden at night in 2012
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Goldberger, Paul (12 October 1988).
"Review/Architecture; Winter Garden At Battery Park City"
.
The New York Times
. New York City. p. 15
. Retrieved
1 January
2022
.
- ^
Dunning, Jennifer (14 October 1988).
"For Dancegoers, A Trip Around The World In Three Days Of Performances"
.
The New York Times
. New York City. p. 1
. Retrieved
1 January
2022
.
- ^
Cuniberti, Betty; Mehren, Elizabeth (14 October 1988).
"L.A. Party Night in N.Y.: Charities Take Manhattan"
.
Los Angeles Times
. New York City
. Retrieved
1 January
2022
.
- ^
"Atrium damaged in Sept. 11 attacks to reopen"
. The Boston Globe. September 11, 2002.
- ^
a
b
"Dealer in Downtown's Future"
. IUP Magazine. Summer 2003.
- ^
"Winter Garden Restoration"
. New York Construction. 8 February 2017.
- ^
"Winter Garden Reconstruction"
. The World Financial Center.
- ^
"Renovation Updates"
. Worldfinancialcenter.com
. Retrieved
January 12,
2013
.
- ^
"World Financial Center"
.
worldfinancialcenter.com
. Archived from
the original
on 4 January 2012
. Retrieved
11 January
2022
.
- ^
"World Financial Center Series returns to Lower Manhattan"
. New York Public Radio, WNYC.
- ^
"
"From Recovery to Renewal" Opens at the Winter Garden"
. Lower Manhattan Development Corporation. April 7, 2003. Archived from
the original
on February 6, 2012
. Retrieved
February 27,
2007
.
- ^
Duke, Lynne (November 19, 2003).
"An Empty Space: Eight Finalists Chosen for Memorial at Trade Center Site"
.
The Washington Post
.
- ^
Barron, James (2015-11-29).
"Basking in a New Holiday Glow, No Evergreen Needed"
.
The New York Times
.
ISSN
0362-4331
. Retrieved
2023-02-14
.
- ^
Network, Artnet Gallery (2022-11-29).
"Luminaries, an Interactive Light Installation in New York, Sets Brookfield Place's Winter Garden Aglow This Holiday Season"
.
Artnet News
. Retrieved
2023-02-14
.
- ^
Fabricant, Florence (2018-02-20).
"Sample New York City's Best Brews"
.
The New York Times
.
ISSN
0362-4331
. Retrieved
2023-02-16
.
- ^
Fontana, Rebecca (15 February 2018).
"Brookfield Place is turning into a giant beer garden next week"
.
Time Out New York
. Retrieved
2023-02-26
.
- ^
"Brookfield Place's 5 Borough Challenge: Best Brews of NYC"
.
COOL HUNTING®
. 2018-02-22
. Retrieved
2023-02-26
.
- ^
"NEW YORK CITY BOROUGH PRESIDENTS ANNOUNCE FRIENDLY WAGER OVER BEST BREWS OF NYC CHALLENGE AT BROOKFIELD PLACE"
.
The Office of The Bronx Borough President | Vanessa L. Gibson
. Retrieved
2023-02-26
.
- ^
"A Dozen Dreams ? Engarde Arts"
.
engardearts.org
. 19 March 2021
. Retrieved
2023-02-26
.
- ^
"Review: A Dozen Dreams at Brookfield Place"
.
Exeunt Magazine NYC
. Retrieved
2023-02-16
.
- ^
Phillips, Maya (2021-05-21).
"
'A Dozen Dreams' Review: Eerie Memories Bring Magic to the Mall"
.
The New York Times
.
ISSN
0362-4331
. Retrieved
2023-02-14
.
- ^
"A Dozen Dreams"
.
The New Yorker
. Retrieved
2023-02-16
.
- ^
Barbour, David (June 2021).
"Dreams by the Dozen"
(PDF)
.
Lightning & Sound America
. pp. 2?11
. Retrieved
February 26,
2023
.
- ^
Green, Jesse; Phillips, Maya; Collins-Hughes, Laura; Heller, Scott; Soloski, Alexis; Vincentelli, Elisabeth (2021-12-03).
"Best Theater of 2021"
.
The New York Times
.
ISSN
0362-4331
. Retrieved
2023-02-26
.
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