the competition project for a residential skyscraper atRoosevelt Island, NY was prepared by Léo Morand & John Mascaro in february 2008.
The Sky Wheel rises above the southern tip of Roosevelt Island, New York. A representation of a non-hierarchical structure evolves in the form of the Ferris Wheel. In this structure, the cars, the inhabitants, quite literally scrape the sky.
The Southern tip of Roosevelt Island points down the East River, is level at it’s nadir with East 46th street in Manhattan. Home to nothing more than an abandoned smallpox hospital called the Renwick Ruin, this stretch of earth sits nestled between Manhattan and the borough of Queens, with a view that shoots down the eastern coast of Manhattan Island.
Paddle wheels sunk within the powerful changing currents of the East River rotate to force into action a system of worm-gears. On each side of the wheel the worm gears sync, and rotate shafts which span over 400 feet, extending to the hub of the wheel. A second series of gears translates the force, whichever direction the tidal strait below is flowing, to slowly, precisely rotate the massive structure.
The structure, a quiet giant, attaches all the moving components, the arms, the gardens, elevator shafts, the base which extends to the restructured Renwick Ruin resting on the ground - the only surface foot-print for the entire project. That this system rotates slowly belies the power, the force of its gradual spin. Split in two halves 100 feet apart from each other these components are bound to the axel with 82- 2 foot thickturbostratic carbon fiber spokes.
2008
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