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Sneak Peek of 4 WTC, Whitney Museum and More Added to Open House NY Tours

By Amy Zimmer | August 9, 2013 8:40am
 Open House New York, a favorite for city explorers, announced new sites to its October lineup.
Open House New York Gears Up for October Tours
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MANHATTAN — The 11th annual Open House New York weekend — when many off-limits architectural gems will be open for behind-the-scenes visits — isn't until October.

But the organizers announced Thursday some new additions to tantalize urban explorers.

“This weekend is gearing up to be one of the most exciting and eclectic in the history of the organization," said Gregory Wessner, executive director of OHNY, of the Oct. 12 and 13 event.

For architectural buffs, there's a preview of 4 World Trade Center, designed by Maki and Associates, and Renzo Piano's new Whitney Museum in the Meatpacking District. The public will also be able to tour Leeser Architects' BRIC Arts media house opening this fall in Downtown Brooklyn with a performance space, art gallery, artist workspace and television production studios. 

For urban-planning enthusiasts, there will be tours of the Citi Bike Warehouse beneath the Gowanus Expressway, where the heavy-duty blue bikes are maintained and repaired. The public can visit the Sims Sunset Park recycling facility, designed by Selldorf Architects, for a firsthand view of the process of recycling glass, metal and plastic.

OHNY is also adding a rare tour of the Neustadt Collection of Tiffany Glass in Long Island City, where visitors will get a glimpse of the large, one-of-a-kind repository of sheet and pressed glass used by the famed Tiffany Studios.

More than 200,000 people are expected to participate at this year's sites, organizers said.

An array of public residences will also be on the agenda, from a recently restored 1937 Art Deco apartment complete with period furnishings in Pelham Parkway in The Bronx to the eco-friendly Energy Star-rated TroutHouse in Bushwick.

Returning favorites include the Brooklyn Army Terminal, Grand Lodge of Masons, the last unbuilt section of the High Line, the Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant and the TWA terminal at John F. Kennedy Airport, among others.

Reservations for the Open House New York tours will open in early October.