Project Brief

The mission of the Kingsbridge Heights Apartments in the Bronx is to provide affordable housing to formerly homeless families earning under 30% of the area medium income (AMI), low income individuals and families earning under 60% of AMI, and moderate income households earning under 90% of AMI.

Alfalfa Studio was invited by B&B Urban to participate in the Kingsbridge Heights Apartments project by designing an 80’ x 13’ mural on the wall behind the new building.

Many people made this project possible, including B&B Urban (developer); L+M Development Partners (developer); MHG Architects (architect); Rafael Esquer (design and art direction), Jose Fresan, Jesus Ortega, Ayako Takahashi (designers); Miguel Ayuso, Gregory Gross, Timmy O’Sullivan (production assistants).

Approach

Alfalfa Studio’s goal with this mural was threefold: to give the residents a sense of ownership in their space, to visually celebrate the rich history of their borough, and to enhance a sense of community.

To meet these goals, Alfalfa Studio meticulously researched the history of the Bronx, from the original natives to current day. In the end, the design team proposed a colorful composition that tells the history of the Bronx in a visual way. The 28 illustrated characters are presented chronologically beginning pre-1600 with the Native American Siwanoy tribe. Also included are iconic sites and events like the Van Cortlandt House (oldest building in the borough), the battle of Pell’s Point, the New York Botanical Gardens, the Bronx Zoo, the Kingsbridge Armory, the Triboro Bridge, Yankee Stadium, and the birth of hip-hop.

The mural ends with the words BRONX PROUD, set in all-caps on a multicolor background, representing the diversity of the Bronx of today. Alfalfa Studio created an original typeface for this part of the mural.

Outcome

The Bronx Proud mural has become a bright addition to the building and its surrounding communities and has given residents local pride. Since the opening, it’s been visited by locals, schools, and students curious to learn more about their borough.

The rich visual universe offered by the Bronx Proud mural creates an immersive experience that educates, entertains, and celebrates the borough’s proud history and heritage.