Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC) has announced today’s opening of LentSpace, which transforms an entire city block into a platform for contemporary art exhibitions complemented by public programs. A model for citywide land use, this temporary project—made possible by the use of a Trinity Real Estate development site to LMCC—creates an “in the meantime” activity for a vacant site awaiting future development. Located in a downtown New York City block between Canal, Varick, Grand and Sullivan Streets, LentSpace features newly designed landscape by award-winning architects Interboro Partners.

As conceived by Interboro, LentSpace’s landscape design features a tree nursery that provides shade while incubating street trees to be planted throughout the downtown neighborhood at a later date. In addition, a custom operable fence opens the space to encourage a variety of social encounters, incorporating benches for seating and a display surface for a commissioned graphic design series. LentSpace is a free outdoor cultural space open to the public from 7am to dusk, made possible by LMCC.

A Tree Workshop is scheduled for noon on Wednesday, September 23 and September 30. The basic workshop will cover caring for young street trees. Attendants will receive free tools, and get a Parks Volunteer Permit, which will allow them to care for street trees and greenstreets.

This event is free but space is limited. Advance registration is required; registrants will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.