Dobbs Ferry Fairytales

‘Fairytales’ give dimension to waterfront vision
By Colleen Michele Jones

DOBBS FERRY — At first glance, the exhibit of architectural renderings might have appeared more at home in the Guggenheim than on the lower level of 145 Palisade Street, an industrial warehouse-turned-gallery.

Visitors who filed through the space for Sunday night’s presentation, entitled “Dobbs Ferry Fairytales: Visions for the Dobbs Ferry Waterfront,” stopped to look, then ponder, the images displayed on the walls — some obviously inspired by the Hudson River landscape, others more the stuff of science fiction.

Dobbs Ferry residents who attended had mixed feelings about the projects by students at Pratt Institute’s School of Architecture, who were asked by Hastings resident and Pratt professor Dan Bucsescu to create a “signature building” to define the Dobbs Ferry waterfront. The landscape is currently made up of a recreational park with a walking path, areas of sandy beach, the Metro-North train station, and the landmark structure at 145 Palisade Street, a former brewery and book depository now used as artistic and commercial rental space.
The project was conceived of and organized by Bucsescu, an architect who has taught at Pratt’s Brooklyn campus for 30 years. Bucsescu emphasized that the project was an entirely academic exercise and there was no intention to submit any of the design plans to the Village.
The completed work of eight Pratt students was presented by RiverArts (the former Rivertowns Arts Council) as a thought-provoking exhibit that could be of interest to many local residents as three of the four Rivertowns still consider waterfront development issues.
Maggie and Moss Whitlum-Cooper, who moved to Dobbs Ferry from London three years ago, were thrilled by the possibilities of the images presented, albeit abstract ones, and any real-life applications that could be had.

“There’s so many brilliant things here,” said Maggie Whitlum-Cooper.
“No matter how or when, this site will get developed somehow,” added her husband, who said he believed an “iconic” structure of some kind along the shoreline of any of the Rivertowns would be a boon to the identity of the area and a destination point for visitors.
Charlotte Frankenthaler, who sits on Dobbs Ferry’s waterfront committee, said the ideas were perhaps too far out of the realm of what could be seriously considered by the Village.
“But it shows what could be,” added Ruth Neuwirth, an Irvington resident who attended with Frankenthaler.

And that was the point, Bucsescu said — to come up with creative visions that transformed the Dobbs Ferry waterfront, unbounded by the constraints of current zoning.
Bucsescu said the students’ projects are “imaginary in the sense that they truly don’t pay attention to the rules, but we can still learn from them.”

Most of the designs contemplate some kind of ferry terminal that could be used by local commuters — and harken back to the village’s origin as a crossing point on the Hudson River — as well as a boardwalk/walkway that could span the length of the waterfront.
In coming up with their designs, students were instructed to take into account such factors as river depth and wind variations. They studied historical uses of the waterfront as indicated on vintage maps and took inspiration from the Hudson River painters who reflected the grandeur of the setting in their works but didn’t try to compete with or overwhelm it, according to Bucsescu.
Standing in front of his futuristic-looking open-air pavilion with a wavy red aluminum shell structure suspended over concrete pillars, Tzu Chien Chan said he was trying to mimic the undulating waves of the Hudson in what he called an “organic” form.

“I was trying to create a minimalist building that could blend in with the landscape,” said Chan, a New York City resident who is in his fourth year of the five-year program at Pratt’s School of Architecture.

Another student of Bucsescu’s, Rebecca Miller, said she visited the waterfront site several times before coming up with the design for a ferry terminal/restaurant based on an overturned boat, its structure based upon the ribs of a boat.
Miller said she was struck by the rundown condition of 145 Palisade and the lack of development on the waterfront.

“I think it’s kind of surprising it’s gone this long without having something,” said Miller, who will graduate in May from Pratt with a bachelor’s degree in architecture.
Other projects included a nest-like form with interlocking interior structures in an abstract shape towering over the water; a yacht club with tennis court; and a series of canals reminiscent of Venice.

Bucsescu said he had thought about having students do this kind of a project for some time. The veteran architect had leased studio space in the 145 Palisade building for a number of years.
“I do think it’s a beautiful site with so much potential,” Bucsescu said.

For his part, Moss Whitlum-Cooper said he hoped that village officials would come down and take a look at the exhibit to “get a vernacular of what could be.”