People's Bus
Human Imagination
Take a bus once used to transport those detained on Rikers Island. Add a vision of it becoming a community center on wheels. Involve Agencie as the project’s design-builder. And you get The People’s Bus.
The conversion couldn’t be more striking. We chose a facility in Jersey City NJ for the fabrication. The existing shell was saw-cut. The door hatch enlarged. Gas springs installed at the openings. When it came to the interior, the changes were equally dramatic. Wood flooring and storage cabinets were added, as well as a vivid beaded mural on the ceiling
The climate-friendly bus was fitted with solar panels and electrical wiring so it can operate at net-zero. It’s used at community events, with its first stop at the People's Bus Festival. Neighborhoods most affected by COVID-19 were prioritized. On the bus is a 6' LED Map of NYC that highlights urban inequities exacerbated by the pandemic, developed in partnership with the Illuminate Cities Project. From prison transport to The People’s Bus, this project is proof of just how far imagination and expertise can take you.
Services
- Design-Build
Location
- New York, NY
Client
- NYC Department of Cultural Affairs
- Civic Engagement Commission
Credits
- Hive Public Space
Team
- Andres Cortes, AIA
- Tyler Javitz
