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Soundview: A Revolutionary Approach to Ferry Terminal and Market Design

Shiyan Chen's visionary design for Soundview, a mixed-use complex in New York City, draws inspiration from the intimate architecture of Paris described by Emile Zola. The project combines an outdoor market, a commuter ferry terminal, and incubator spaces for restaurant industry entrepreneurs.

The proposal features three building volumes clustered along the waterfront, creating an intimate semi-enclosed courtyard for public events and a market. The upper levels offer naturally-lit spaces for small business incubation, offices, and storage, connected by passageways that allow flow into the market and towards the waterfront.

The complex is designed to offer an intimate, semi-enclosed outdoor space for the market while also allowing adequate flow from the ferry dock to the neighborhood. The upper parts of the building are cantilevered and realized through a space frame structure supported by fanning columns.

Shiyan Chen's design includes a 600-square-meter warehouse space, 380-square-meter events and administrative spaces, and a 100-square-meter ferry waiting room on the ground level. The upper level features 4 commercial incubators totaling 475 square meters, 500-square-meter warehouse space, and 710-square-meter lobby, huddle space, and circulation space.

This complex serves commuters who take the Soundview ferry to their workplace across New York City. The outdoor plaza features local produce and creative products developed by the food incubators housed on the upper level of the building, creating a unique and vibrant experience for visitors.

The project was conceived in the fall of 2017 for a site in Soundview, Bronx in New York City. The design seeks to create a sense of intimacy and spontaneity of free-flowing informal markets in the cervices of a dense urban fabric, inspired by Emile Zola’s realist novel The Belly of Paris.

Shiyan Chen, an aspiring architectural designer with a unique background in intellectual history and scene design, has been awarded the Bronze A' Design Award in Architecture, Building, and Structure Design for this innovative and creatively ingenious design. His work showcases strong technical and creative skills and contributes to quality of life improvements, making the world a better place.

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