Designed as a pair, the Spring Street Sanitation Garage and Salt Shed demonstrate how an architecture of contrast can position two civic buildings as a gateway.

The proposed location faced significant opposition from the community, with concerns including potential odors, noise pollution, and decreased property values. No one wanted the Department of Sanitation as a neighbor. The design needed to change the public’s perception of civic and industrial architecture and waste management’s role in a thriving city.    

Situated at the edge of Manhattan, adjacent to Hudson River Park, this project reimagines civic infrastructure as an architectural statement. Designed in collaboration with Dattner Architects, the facility provides office, locker, and workout spaces for staff, houses full maintenance facilities for vehicle repair and storage, and, next door, a structure with space to store 5,000 tons of salt.  The DSNY Manhattan District 1/2/5 Garage has an outer layer of the double-skin façade composed of custom-designed, perforated metal fins that reduce solar loading on the curtain wall beneath and provide a strong vertical articulation of the project’s mass. The building includes a green roof that increases stormwater retention and thermal performance while protecting the roof membrane below.  Next door, the highly visible Salt Shed structure houses 5,000 tons of salt and rises nearly 70 feet. The reinforced concrete enclosure tapers toward the ground, creating more pedestrian space and giving the stored salt the correct “angle of repose.” The solid, sculptural crystalline form of the Salt Shed acts as a dramatic counterpoint to the translucent, scrim-like façade of the neighboring garage. 

The project developed from a genuine collaboration between Dattner Architects, WXY, and the NYC Department of Design and Construction (DDC). Instead of imposing a standard facility on the neighborhood, we engaged directly with the DDC and local residents, addressing concerns about noise and visual blight. The result was a functional yet striking building that respected the neighborhood and its context, serving the city while enhancing the urban environment. 

Reimagining a municipal sanitation facility, the design emphasizes sustainability and resource efficiency. A green roof captures rainwater, while greywater systems enable reuse for restrooms and truck washing.Targeting LEED Gold certification, the project serves as a model for NYC’s Active Design program.