CasaBattery Maritime Building – Casa Cipriani, Awards for Excellence in Repositioning or Redevelopment Finalist
Jonathan Marvel, FAIA, ASLA Affiliate, Founding Principal, Marvel
I was very lucky to have a grandfather, father and mother who were all professionals in architecture, urban design and planning. This gave me a tremendous amount of confidence – and because they all had their own practices – it inspired me to strike out on my own at a young age. They never gave me advice, just a sense of the importance of serving communities, seeing the bigger picture, and appreciating that what we do as designers has an impact on many and helps to shape the lives of others.
The Battery Maritime Building (BMB) (now Casa Cipriani) is a perfect example of how a building can have many lives, and how every time it gets re-purposed, it becomes more integrated with city life. Its specific location in the lower Manhattan harbor celebrates New York’s waterfront history unlike any other structure, with its infrastructure capacity, its resiliency and the historic layering of architectural styles.
I have lived on and off in New York since 1978 so call it 44 years and the city changes for the better in every imaginable way: it’s cleaner, greener and there are so many outdoor spaces for people to gather and celebrate the dynamic creative spirit that permeates everything we do. Furthermore, professional life in New York City is helped by civic and private interests in that, collectively, we all want to accomplish things and make the process efficient, making it a pleasure to collaborate with other designers.