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The Long Island City Bakery is an adaptive reuse project that is currently under development in Queens New York. The project is situated at the crossroads of the older commercial Long Island City and the newer residential Long Island City with housing developments near the East River.
The design approach was twofold, by architects Office for Design and Architecture (ODA). The first process involves the conversion of a gas station mechanics garage into a warm, inviting and sustainable environment. The second challenge is to evoke the idea of bakery into and architectural expression that responded to the owner’s tight budget.
Introducing steel channels and wooden dough rollers into the skin of the building, the exterior will be transformed from a decaying masonry façade into an innovative rain screen. To reduce the heat island effect caused by the existing asphalt parking area, concrete block and grass was introduced throughout the paving area. The vegetation continues up the building with Boston ivy that will provide a lively red composition to the wooden rainscreen.
