Virtual Tour Series
Open House New York x DSNY
Every year, Open House New York Weekend gives New Yorkers the chance to have an inside look at some of the City’s most unique and beloved buildings. DSNY has teamed up with OHNY to produce virtual tours of some of the Department’s hidden gems, available all year long.
m11: treasures in the trash
The “Treasures in the Trash” collection was curated by retired sanitation worker Nelson Molina over the course of his 34-year career with the NYC Department of Sanitation. Over 40,000 items are housed in Manhattan 11, an active sanitation garage servicing East Harlem.
Through his tireless efforts to rescue, repair, and organize these discarded objects, Molina reminds us that there are alternatives to waste, and gives us an opportunity to pause and consider our own consumption habits. The vast array of items is a stunning visual reminder of what we value — or don’t value — and the scale of what we throw away. A keen observer can also see smaller narratives woven throughout, telling us stories of Harlem, of Molina’s life, and of New York City itself.
m1/2/5 garage
Tour the Department of Sanitation’s multi-story M125 Garage – home of the 150+ vehicles and DSNY staff that serve nearly 300,000 residents across three Manhattan community districts. The LEED Gold certified facility integrates the technical functional requirements of heavy vehicle parking with architectural design, sustainability, and a sensitivity to the urban context. Take a drive up the ramps to the operating vehicular floors for a behind-the-scenes look into this critical component of the City’s waste and recycling infrastructure; look out through the double-skin façade of operable perforated fins; and follow the path of recycled rainwater from the 1.5 acre green roof to its point of reuse in truck washdown!
the spring street salt shed
Peek inside the concrete crystal that serves as one of the Department of Sanitation’s over 40 deicing salt storage sites distributed throughout the City for response to winter storm events. The Spring Street Salt Shed embraces the challenge of storing 5,000 tons of road salt within the community it serves, while sparking curiosity through its form and fostering dialogue on the essential services that keep the City running. Learn about how the faceted form of the building evolved through the design process, why the roof is pitched at 32 degrees, and how the naturally corrosive contents informed the structural and material choices!
east 91 st. marine transfer station
The NYC Department of Sanitation’s (DSNY) East 91 Street Marine Transfer Station is the transfer point for household waste from Manhattan residents. The waste is loaded into containers and placed on barges to be offloaded onto a rail service. The waste is then transported to waste to energy facilities in Pennsylvania and New York. It began operations in March 2019 and now processes an average of 550 tons per day. DSNY holds a long-term contract with Covanta, which manages 6 day/week service to the waste to energy facilities. The 91 Street Marine Transfer Station is a key part of the city’s 20-year Solid Waste Management Plan, which re-activated marine and rail transfer sites to shift waste handled by DSNY to a rail- and marine-based transportation system, dramatically reducing air pollution caused by truck-based transport.