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2009 Winners

BEST NEW BUILDING
The Standard Hotel
The completion of the distinctive Standard Hotel is a marvelous gesture to its equally iconic downstairs neighbor, the High Line — which after sparking the architectural renaissance of the Meatpacking District and West Chelsea — opens to the public this year. Propped upon concrete sculptural piers that raise the building 57 feet off the street, the Standard Hotel respects the gritty quality of the formerly industrial neighborhood and allows natural light to reach the High Line.

BEST RESTORATION
The Lion House at The Bronx Zoo
The meticulous exterior restoration of the 1903 Beaux-Arts Lion House at the Bronx Zoo provides a beautiful frame for the dramatic transformation of its interior, which now houses the highly-acclaimed Madagascar! exhibit. Temperature, energy, and lighting systems, that meet the demands of tropical flora and fauna, are subtly inserted underground and within the exhibit, making them invisible to the public. The result is a sustainable building system that preserves the integrity of the historic structure. The Lion House has the distinction of being the first landmark building in New York City to be granted LEED designation.

BEST RENOVATION/ADAPTIVE REUSE
The Sheila C. Johnson Design Center at Parsons, The New School for Design
The Sheila C. Johnson Design Center is a gutsy gut-renovation that dramatically improves circulation and continuity between the many buildings (and fields of study) at Parsons, The New School for Design. Joining all of its street-level spaces, which date back to the early 1900s, into an “urban quad,” the Center has installed creatively designed meeting rooms, galleries, and an auditorium, yet the changes allow for public interaction by utilizing the “storefront” windows along 13th Street and Fifth Avenue to display students’ design work.

BEST NEIGHBORHOOD CATALYST
TKTS Booth
In one of the most heavily trafficked public spaces in New York City, a redesigned TKTS Discount Booth has brought Broadway (at 47th Street) into a new age, increasing its capacity to advertise and sell tickets for dozens of theaters. Using both sustainable features and cutting-edge glass technology, the TKTS Booth is an urban sculpture that is also perfectly utilitarian. Its dramatic ruby-red staircase, made up of 27 structural glass steps, provides a magical place to sit and enjoy the razzle-dazzle of Times Square.

Best Neighborhood Catalyst: Honorable Mention
Melrose Commons
In 1994, after years of neglect and decay, the City of New York designated Melrose Commons in the South Bronx an urban renewal area. The renewal master plan, drafted by the neighborhood organization Nos Quedamos in conjunction with several public agencies, is an example of pioneering community-based planning and sustainable neighborhood design. The Third Avenue corridor of Melrose Commons is a testament to its success as a major revitalizing force. It has transformed the neighborhood by incorporating health-conscious building materials and providing gathering spaces and walkable streets.

2009 Awards Committee

James Carpenter, Principal, James Carpenter Design Associates
Elizabeth Diller, Principal, Diller Scofidio & Renfro
Richard Meier, Managing Partner, Richard Meier & Partners Architects
Robert Selsam, Senior Vice-President, Boston Properties