Open House New York Explores Brooklyn Army Terminal & Sunset Park Recycling Facility

Here’s a chance to explore Sunset Park’s industrial past and present.

Both the Brooklyn Army Terminal and Sunset Park’s waterfront recycling facility will be open to visitors during this year’s Open House New York Weekend — October 15th and 16th. The weekend will feature hundreds of buildings and other interesting sites across the five boroughs, many of which the public cannot normally enter.

The goal of the annual event, says non-profit Open House New York, is to “unlock the doors of New York’s most important buildings, offering an extraordinary opportunity to experience the city and meet the people who design, build, and preserve New York.”

The event seeks to “deepen… our understanding of the importance of architecture and urban design to foster a more vibrant civic life, and helps catalyze a citywide conversation about how to build a better New York.”

There will also be tours, talks, performances, and other special events taking place throughout the weekend.

We encourage you to go exploring all over the city. The majority of sites across the five boroughs are “Open Access” and can be visited for free during the days and hours listed, says OHNY.

Some sites require advanced reservations, which you can make starting tomorrow (10/6) at 11am.

***Make sure you check the OHNY website before you depart for a particular site to make sure that the visiting hours have not changed.

Here is more info from OHNY about the sites they are featuring in Sunset Park this year:

Brooklyn Army Terminal
Saturday, October 15: 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Sunday, October 16: 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm
RESERVATIONS NOT REQUIRED

Architect: Cass Gilbert, 1918; Phased renovation, 1985-Present
Additional: New York City Economic Development Corporation

The Brooklyn Army Terminal (BAT) is a prime location for industrial companies and a critically important site for good industrial companies looking to grow and expand in New York City. Constructed by the military in 1918, BAT served as the largest military supply in the United States through World War II. At its most heavily trafficked period during WWII, 12,000 military and civilian personnel were employed at BAT, and more than three million troops and 37 million tons of military supplies passed through the facility.

Cass Gilbert, known for his Beaux Arts and Gothic style designs like the Woolworth Building, was BAT’s principal architect, designing what was, at the time, the largest concrete structure in the world. Since BAT was acquired by the City in 1981, New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) has invested more than $185 million to transform the facility into a modern, thriving industrial campus, now home to more than 100 tenants with 3,600 employees.

***This year, in addition to the Army Terminal’s atrium, dozens of artist studios will be open to visitors in Building A (3-J) and Building B (4-I) as part of chashama Open Studios.

Sat & Sun Tour Info: Guided tours of the atrium will take place every hour, on the hour throughout the afternoon, led by Turnstile Tours.

Sunset Park Material Recovery Facility
Saturday, October 15: 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
RESERVATIONS NOT REQUIRED

Architect: Selldorf Architects, 2013
The Sunset Park Material Recovery Facility (MRF) is the principal processing center for all of NYC’s metal, glass and plastic recyclables. If you live in the five boroughs and recycle, the odds are this is where your discards come to be processed before being shipped out as raw material for re-manufacturing.

Located on an 11-acre waterfront pier in Sunset Park, the facility has received praise and awards for its design, by Selldorf Architects. The facility’s Education Center includes interactive exhibits and a viewing platform that allows visitors to see the vast processing system. Spend time on the spacious patio to see the lush bioswales and stunning view of the Manhattan skyline. With more than $25 million in sorting equipment and featuring NYC’s first commercial-scale wind turbine, this site boasts the most modern and sophisticated recycling facility in the US.

For Kids: Children can spend time in the Recycling Education Center, where the displays illustrate the why’s and how’s of NYC’s recycling program. Hand-cranked conveyor belts, magnets, air jets, and scales will engage all age groups, from the very young to the young at heart.

Access Notes: As this is an active industrial site, closed toed shoes are recommended.