Architects from mOrphosis spent 10 weeks on proposal
MID CITY — A Santa Monica architect is among five finalists competing to build an Olympic Village to help lure the Summer Games to New York City in 2012.
The firm mOrphosis on Colorado Boulevard was selected from more than 130 architects around the world, each vying to design the village planned for construction in Queens. Also chosen were firms in Denmark, London, The Netherlands and New York City. A winner is expected to be announced in late May.
A team of 20 architects, engineers, consultants and assistants worked on the mOrphosis proposal for more than 10 weeks. Their plan calls for 43 acres of open space, a residential area accommodating 16,000 athletes and an 1,100-foot pier extending into the East River.
“It was a great, really intense conceptual design study,” said project manager Paul Gonzales, 37. “What we’re trying to do is give a kind of singular strong statement that represents the integrity of the Olympic spirit through trying to give a prominent visual across the East River.”
“It was a great, really intense conceptual design study.” — — PAUL GONZALES Project manager, mOrphosis
Details of the plan reveal oceanfront restaurants, wetlands and Olympic event areas that later could be made into urban centers with theaters, grocery stores and gyms. The concept is billed as sustainable development, meaning it would maximize the use of recycled materials, employ renewable energy sources, and use advanced waste and water management programs.
The site of the proposed village is in Queens West, directly across the East River from the United Nations building in Manhattan. More than half of the 4,500 apartments proposed by mOrphosis are what’s called through-units, with views of both the city and the Olympic Village parklands. Nearly every unit has a view of at least one of these sights, according to the designs.
Though a cost consultant was hired to work on the project with mOrphosis, the firm declined to release cost estimates, saying those figures will be kept private until a winner is selected.
After being named a finalist, mOrphosis designers met with officials twice to craft their plans. In March, they submitted two models, along with drawings, elevations and renderings to New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg and officials from NYC2012, the group organizing the push for the Olympics.
Organizers hope the winning plan will catch the eye of officials from the International Olympic Committee. The IOC is set to select a host city for the 2012 Summer Games on July 6, 2005, in Singapore, said Laz Benitez, a spokesman.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on April 24, 2004. Read the original PDF.