For the first time in 127 years, the three-story Pier A Harbor House opened its doors to the public. Located in Lower Manhattan, it houses bars, restaurants, and a top floor event space with stunning views of the Hudson and Ellis Island. Pier A’s partners, Danny McDonald, Michael Jewell and HPH’s Peter Poulakakos, tasked MRD along with Vincent Laino of Green Light Architecture to enliven the historic pier following an extensive restoration by the Battery Park City Authority. MRD envisioned the Pier as a ship docked along the water and themed all of the spaces accordingly. The lower floor represented the utilitarian spaces of a ship, like the engine room, while the top floors represented the crow’s nest and captain’s quarters. Over a dozen custom lighting fixtures and architectural elements were designed and built to give the building a unique and distinct New York City identity.

MRD’s design for Pier A included, in addition to providing the architectural lighting and lighting controls design, conceiving, detailing and fabricating multiple light fixtures. Those fixtures were key features in each of the destination venues, such as The Gauges in the beerhall and The Mast in the stair tower. Others, like the Searchlight, or the Rail Light in the Commodore’s Room, were more subtle elements, helping to anchor the character and detail of Pier A.

OYSTER BAR