The transformation of 5Pointz into condos (GIF by Hrag Vartanian/Hyperallergic, images from 1, 2, 3)
NY YIMBY recently got a set of renderings of the structure that will take over 5Pointz’s burial ground at 22-44 Jackson Avenue in Long Island City, Queens. In place of the once vibrant graffiti hub, two residential towers, one 41 and the other 47 stories, will be erected. One of the towers will include retail on the lower levels, while the other will house amenities, and there will be affordable housing units scattered throughout the building.
View of the new 22-44 Jackson Avenue buildings that will replace 5Pointz (rendering by HTO Architect via 6sqft.com)
Once completed, the pair of towers will house 1,000 apartments, and, according to Diane Pham of 6sqft, “G&M Realty’s David Wolkoff plans to set aside 20 artists’ studios and displays (about 12,000 square feet) to make up for the lost 5Pointz galleries and studios.”
The bland new buildings are the work of New York–based architectural firm HTO Architect, and their luxury design does little to visually aid the skyline of the Queens neighborhood.
Pham is not optimistic about the new project:
But with long-standing landmarks like 5Pointz being razed for lackluster luxury towers, we question whether or not those who truly drive change and increase neighborhood appeal (like the artists who made Williamsburg a cultural pole, and other local entrepreneurs and creatives) will have any interest in taking up space here. Probably not.
The building will rise across the street from MoMA PS1, and near other cultural institutions including the Sculpture Center.
To recap the highlights and eventual destruction of 5Pointz, check out Hyperallergic’s previous posts on the fight to save the once colorful cultural hub.
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