70 Mulberry
A Chinese-American building for the Chinatown community.
Since the 5-alarm fire at 70 Mulberry Street in January 2020, there has been much discussion about the future of 70 Mulberry and what should become of the building and site. While opinions vary from full restoration to total demolition, it's clear that the building and site hold an important place in Chinatown's history.
How can we both honor the history of the original building and respond to the needs of the present? If we don’t want a faceless glass tower to replace the original brick and stone building, how should 70 Mulberry be rebuilt? Should we “preserve” history by rebuilding the building exactly as it was before the fire, even though C.B.J. Snyder’s original building in 1893 was one story shorter? What will make 70 Mulberry the new beacon and heart of the Chinatown that the community deserves?
Our proposal is to construct a contemporary Chinese-American addition above the restored floors of the original building. At 10 stories tall, the building maximizes the allowable square footage on the site, forgoing the need for a lengthy ULURP process. There is a contemporary and respectful alternative to the two options of full demolition and “full restoration,” the latter of which can be read as a futile attempt to reconstruct a past that is already gone (and partially demolished).
Our proposal is a contemporary adaptation of historic Chinese towers, built for Chinatown in this present time. The form of ancient Chinese towers is made up of a base (often constructed in stone) and a upper tower constructed with rich wood detailing. The tower portion has the signature Chinese-style roofs that often form covered terraces. Our design uses the original building at 70 Mulberry as the “base,” and builds a terraced addition as the tower. The original building is restored in brick and the old narrow classroom windows are replaced with large panes of glass more appropriate for the community activities within a large building. The tower portion is constructed in steel and concrete, but with the structure expressed in the same way that the wood construction of Chinese towers was visible and celebrated.
How can we both honor the history of the original building and respond to the needs of the present? If we don’t want a faceless glass tower to replace the original brick and stone building, how should 70 Mulberry be rebuilt? Should we “preserve” history by rebuilding the building exactly as it was before the fire, even though C.B.J. Snyder’s original building in 1893 was one story shorter? What will make 70 Mulberry the new beacon and heart of the Chinatown that the community deserves?
Our proposal is to construct a contemporary Chinese-American addition above the restored floors of the original building. At 10 stories tall, the building maximizes the allowable square footage on the site, forgoing the need for a lengthy ULURP process. There is a contemporary and respectful alternative to the two options of full demolition and “full restoration,” the latter of which can be read as a futile attempt to reconstruct a past that is already gone (and partially demolished).
Our proposal is a contemporary adaptation of historic Chinese towers, built for Chinatown in this present time. The form of ancient Chinese towers is made up of a base (often constructed in stone) and a upper tower constructed with rich wood detailing. The tower portion has the signature Chinese-style roofs that often form covered terraces. Our design uses the original building at 70 Mulberry as the “base,” and builds a terraced addition as the tower. The original building is restored in brick and the old narrow classroom windows are replaced with large panes of glass more appropriate for the community activities within a large building. The tower portion is constructed in steel and concrete, but with the structure expressed in the same way that the wood construction of Chinese towers was visible and celebrated.
The large, wide terraces are shared by everyone in the community, and they provide beautiful views over Columbus Park and the city.
Chinatown needs spaces that are beautiful, generous, and shared.
Chinatown needs spaces that are beautiful, generous, and shared.
