Helen Peper

In an ever growing city like New York, increasing density gives public space great importance and provides an opportunity for us to consider the unused and overlooked niches of the city.

Among these niches are the roofs of high rises. Apart from their chunky electricity blocks and water towers, the majority of these roofs are empty.

What if we could build a network of sky-passages that connected overlooked rooftops with parametric bridges, creating a new type of public space? What if this space utilized high rises and allowed people to come together and enjoy the heights of New York City? I want to expand our imagination for what is possible and re-envision how we move through the city.

This design plays with the idea of freedom coming together with the beauty of engineering by exposing structural parts and emphasizing elements like anodized aluminum panels.

If you cross the bridge looking straight ahead, the panels will appear to be one continuous surface along the sides, hiding the surrounding view. However, for those who pause and look off to the side, the panels will open up, becoming almost transparent and revealing the cityscape.