'Guts' of the City

City Owned Land represents an infrastructure in New York City that exists at least partially outside of the market where capitalism itself doesn't alone describe demand.

By marrying two city agencies—the NYC Department of Transportation and NYC Department of Education—this project proposes a geological excavation beneath the streets of Washington Heights.

This initiative aims to create an alternative public space by exposing the “guts” of the city. Water pipes, electricity lines, and drainage systems are excavated and transformed into educational devices.

The tension between utility pipes and retaining walls forms the dome-shaped programs. The project seeks to evoke a new sense of the sublime by juxtaposing infrastructural elements with educational programs, resulting in a playful, dangerous, dirty, and dynamic space dedicated to extracurricular activities.