Housing Complex & Library Proposal
May 2020 | Critic: Fleet Hower
Collaboration with James Lue
Polaris is a mixed-use development proposal for a riverfront site located at One Monument Square in Troy, New York. This project consists of a public library branch located on River Street and a 41-unit residential complex, distributed across three housing concourses. The project’s name references the structure’s orientation on the site and the revitalized waterfront that draws residents and tourists alike to the Hudson River.
Created with the themes of automation, motion, and continuity in mind, Polaris reenvisions the traditional library concept for the 21st century. Using a network of tracks to deliver books from a storage facility to patrons in a lobby space below, the advanced design emphasizes the technological transformation of libraries into efficient centers of innovation and social interaction. Meanwhile, the residential units are optimized to offer every apartment both a picturesque river view and accessible community spaces for socialization.
