Explore downtown New York through a mixed reality walking tour tracing the evolution of the skyscraper. Through direct observation of iconic landmarks, including the Equitable Building and Liberty Tower, participants will examine how early high-rise construction shaped New York City's landmark 1916 Zoning Resolution and the "wedding cake" massing profile it produced. The tour moves through historically layered neighborhoods, from Wall Street to Newspaper Row, revealing how shifts in zoning, fireproofing, prefabrication and elevator technology shaped the physical and social conditions of lower Manhattan across centuries. Experience historic Wall Street through Augmented Reality (AR), connecting archival urban history to present-day questions of public welfare, equitable access, and the livability of dense cities.
Participants will leave with a richer framework for evaluating how the built environment, regulations and advances in technology, directly affect the health, safety, and welfare of the people who lived and worked downtown.
Speakers:
Ananth Robert Sampathkumar, AIA, LEED, Co-founder and Partner, NDNY Architects; Co-chair, AIANY Historic Buildings Committee
About the Speakers:
Ananth Sampathkumar is a co-founder and partner at NDNY Architects and co-chair of the AIANY Historic Buildings Committee, bringing over 20 years of experience and a philosophy rooted in high-impact, low-footprint design to everything he does. His career has spanned landmark projects including the expansion of the Javits Convention Center and Teacher's Village in Newark, with earlier work at FXFowle and Richard Meier & Partners. A registered architect in New York and New Jersey, LEED accredited, and NCARB certified, Sampathkumar has been recognized with the Henry Adams Medal from the AIA, a Schiff Foundation Fellowship from the Art Institute of Chicago, and honors from both the Chicago Architectural Club and the Graham Foundation. Sampathkumar is passionate about preserving the built environment through the use of cutting edge digital technology and channels his passion for the city into architectural tours of New York, raising funds for causes close to his heart.
AIANY Historic Buildings Committee
