Arup Contributes to Coney Island Steeplechase Plaza Grand Opening and Area Revitalization

NEW YORK, June 10, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Arup, a multidisciplinary engineering and consulting firm with a reputation for delivering innovative and sustainable designs, announced today that the $25M Coney Island Steeplechase Plaza project in Brooklyn has been completed. This is the flagship project in the City of New York Economic Development Corporation's vision to revitalize Coney Island. Managed by the New York Parks Department, this pavilion will establish visual and pedestrian links to and from the historic boardwalk. Arup was chosen by the New York City Economic Development Corporation to provide structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing (SMEP), and sustainability consulting services for the oceanfront plaza.

The newly constructed plaza includes a naturally ventilated enclosure for the restored B&B Carousell, as well as a cafe/restaurant and pavilion, outdoor performance space, recreational area, seating and site furniture, water features and a public plaza. Arup designed the building to optimize natural heating and cooling elements, taking advantage of wind channels, area humidity, and solar heating. Operable windows in the cupola provide for low-tech heat control, as air conditioning would be wasted with visitors frequently entering and exiting the pavilion. One of the project goals was to keep energy use low, and therefore the building is only heated in the winter when necessary. Arup's sustainable solutions will result in the building's LEED Silver rating.

The cylindrical building is 80-feet in diameter with an arched long-span roof and a column-free footprint consisting of timber and steel.  

Project team members include:

• Owner: New York Parks Department ;
• Client:  New York City Economic Development Corporation
• Architect: Rockwell Group
• Prime Consultant and Landscape Architect: AECOM
• Civil/Site Engineer: AECOM
• SMEP Engineer: Arup
• Sustainability Consultant: Arup
• Lighting Designer: HLB Lighting

About Arup

Arup is the creative force at the heart of many of the world's most prominent projects in the built environment and across industry. Its engineers and consultants deliver innovative projects across the world. Arup opened its first US office 25 years ago, and now employs 1,000 in the Americas. The firm was founded in 1946 with an enduring set of values that fosters a distinctive culture, intellectual independence and collaborative approach. The people at Arup are driven to find a better way to deliver better solutions for their clients. (www.arup.com)

SOURCE Arup