Foster + Partners has unveiled plans to build a timber boathouse on Manhattan's Harlem River for a non-profit that teaches local teens to row.
The British firm designed the boathouse for Row New York on a plot on the banks of the Harlem River, located in the uppermost tip of Manhattan.
"This timber boathouse will fit naturally into the landscape of the riverfront and will transform this stretch of the Harlem River into a lively gathering place for people from all communities," said Foster + Partners founder Norman Foster.
Revealed yesterday, the boathouse is topped by a jagged roof set on a series of columns. This structure is formed by three gabled shapes that join together to form a zig-zag shape, and cantilevers at the edges to provide shade underneath. Boathouse reinterprets historic riverfront structures
Images show that the feature roof will cover over a two-storey structure comprising a timber base and a glazed top. Foster + Partners created this simple design to draw on the style of boathouses that previously populated the Harlem bank.
"At the beginning of the 20th century, the river was dotted with many timber boathouses along its banks," the firm said. "The new Harlem Boathouse recalls this tradition with a simple rectilinear structure made entirely from wood."

The top-level of Row New York is designed to accommodate a large multi-purpose hall, changing rooms and classrooms for an after-school programme. It will also include a terra...