This Way Under the Brooklyn Bridge

This Way transformed the Brooklyn Bridge stairwell and underpass from a dark and forbidding “back door” into a unique entrance to DUMBO. The artwork simultaneously performed aesthetically and practically—both place-making and way-finding. Residents and visitors were engaged by linear light forms, which also guided them through the urban maze. The areas under the bridge along Washington and Prospects streets glowed with a distinctive blue tone from new sidewalk lighting. The art installation worked in concert with new signage to improve the experience of visitors and residents who passed through this significant threshold between the bridge and Manhattan, DUMBO, and other parts of Brooklyn.

CLIENT
NYC Department of Transportation
Percent for Art
DUMBO Business Improvement District

TEAM
Linnaea Tillett and Karin Tehve, artists
Emphas!s Design, lead design consultant

RECOGNITION
2009 Illuminating Engineering Society: Lumen Citation and Regional Award
2009 Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce: Building Brooklyn Award
2009 Society of Environmental Graphic Design: Wayfinding Design Award

Photography: Courtesy of Seth Ely