From the Archives: July 31, 1952

After pumping the pond dry, shovels and draglines had been used to take away 150,000 cu yd of mud, clay and silt. 5,300 tons of reinforcing metal was welded into assemblies, which gantry cranes positioned forward of wooden types, adopted by a sequence of 36 pours.

The finished watertight caissons had been then towed 38 miles downriver and set atop pilings from the earlier pier (destroyed in a hearth in 1947) whereas their buoyancy supported 90% of the overall load.

Dubbed the “SuperPier,” this design was thought-about progressive, because it was fireproof and couldn’t be attacked by marine borers, each threats which had lengthy plagued waterfront buildings.

It was the biggest pier in New York Metropolis when it opened in 1954, with 633,000 sq ft of ground house throughout its two flooring. Often known as Pier 57, it initially served the Grace Line’s ocean liners, was later used as a bus depot.

Since 2023, it’s house to Google workplace house, a rooftop backyard, and a meals corridor.