Although efforts to restore the Hudson River waterways have seen recent success through projects such as the Billion Oyster Project and shoreline restoration into natural wetlands, climate change brings a new set of challenges. The increasing temperature, sea level rise, storm surges, and sporadic changes in salinity do not just threaten the wildlife but will come to threaten the area’s residents.
Therefore it is crucial to centralize the necessary discussions on how to deal with the climate crisis. Governor’s Island on the waterfront already participates in these discussions through various ecological groups and education facilities. Historically Governor’s Island acted as a military base for the city or nation’s defense; it is now a historical park belonging to no singular borough.
The Sixth Borough City Hall becomes a space for discussions, research, study, and recreation, allowing the public, organizations, and governments to become a collective and organized force to build resilience against climate change. The structure of raised CLT cores with adaptive reuse cladding elevates the building above the future sea level rise providing warm interiors and a soft shore underneath the building for research and recreation.
