Wagner Park Turned Its Floodwall Into a Landscape
At Manhattan’s waterfront, a raised lawn conceals part of a coastal defense system. Preserving the harbor view required rebuilding the ground beneath it.
Infrastructure
The tunnels, bridges, utilities, public works, and structural systems that keep New York and other cities operating.
One Clinton: The Library Deal Behind Brooklyn’s Flatiron
A triangular condo tower in Brooklyn Heights replaced a struggling library, funded repairs across the borough, and became entangled in scrutiny of City Hall fundraising.
The Hidden Curtains That Reopened the Beekman’s Atrium
Sealed for decades over fire-safety concerns, the Beekman’s nine-story atrium returned with a discreet system of smoke curtains, glass baffles, and ventilation.
The Bronx Glasshouse That Had to Survive Its Own Rain Forest
At the New York Botanical Garden, the conditions that sustain tropical plants also challenge a historic steel structure. Saving its palm dome required engineering an enclosure within an enclosure.
Why DUMBO’s Most Famous View Works
On Washington Street, brick warehouses, a steel bridge and a distant skyscraper turn a slice of Brooklyn into a remarkably complete picture of New York.
New York’s Skybridges Have Always Been About More Than Shortcuts
From hospital laundries to a swimming pool above Manhattan, New York’s elevated passages reveal who gets connected and what happens to the street below.
The Engineering Beneath Boston University’s Jenga Tower
BU’s stacked tower pairs carefully calibrated steel cantilevers with geothermal boreholes reaching 1,500 feet underground. Its boldest move is largely invisible.
The Manhattan Hotel That Crossed the Atlantic in Pieces
CitizenM Bowery’s rooms were built in Poland and stacked in New York. Behind the LEGO comparison lies a demanding marriage of factory production and skyscraper engineering.
Amazon’s Cargo Bikes and the Fight for New York’s Street Space
Pedal-powered delivery rigs offer a way around truck tolls and traffic. Their success depends on what happens at the curb and in the bike lane.
One New York Plaza: When a Skyscraper’s Lungs Carried Smoke
A deadly 1970 fire exposed the hidden connections inside a vast Manhattan office tower and helped change how New York approached high-rise fire safety.
Central Park’s Lampposts Hold a Clue to Finding Your Way
The park’s winding paths invite exploration. Small numbers on its lampposts reconnect that wandering landscape to Manhattan’s street grid.
The Small Broad Street Building With a Trillion-Dollar Backstory
Behind a familiar deli frontage at 100 Broad Street lies a chapter in New York’s transformation from paper checks to electronic money.