
Design firm BIG awarded $335 million to build Manhattan's storm defences
In the wake of Hurricane Sandy
The 'Big U' scheme has been won by Dutch firm Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), with the company gearing up to launch a series of protective initiatives around Manhattan
Danish design studio BIG has been granted $335 million to 'upgrade' the area of Lower Manhattan previously damaged by storms, to build its defences, as one of six winners in the Rebuild by Design initiative to revive parts of the USA struck by Hurricane Sandy.
Dutch firm One Architecture joins BIG to co-develop the winning 'Big U' scheme, with a protective system that would extend ten miles around the tip of Manhattan island, shielding its buildings from floods and storm surges.