Seward Park Building 2
Residences, Culinary Hub & Commercial Incubator
New York, NY

The concept for Seward Park Building 2 emerged from a desire to relocate and re-imagine the Lower East Side’s historic Essex Street Market in a way that elaborates its historic significance in a bustling neighborhood that has traditionally drawn visitors from all five boroughs. Relocated to the street level of Building 2, the Essex Street Market will serve as a central magnet for the residents of Seward Park and the surrounding neighborhoods, while the building as a whole supports themes of human sustenance and organic charm.

In addition to new Essex Street Market program, the building was designed to house a culinary school, a high-tech commercial incubator, an urban farm, rooftop amenities, and market-rate and affordable apartments — all integrated seamlessly into a self-supporting, ecological system. Building 2’s primary preoccupation was the provision of high-quality food and shelter. This essential mission was to provide both nourishment and a sense of connectivity to adjacent sites and the local community that for so long had contributed to the Lower East Side’s diverse character.

(Diagrams by Davis Brody Bond; renderings by Neoscape)