The long sides of the structure are each topped with a line of continuous "burton" cargo handling frames, which allowed freight to be easily transferred to and from ships docked at the pier.

[3][4][5][6] The pier is notable for being underpinned by three separate submerged buoyant concrete caissons, which are spanned by long steel girders supporting the building above.

The caissons were constructed in 1951 and 1952 inside a diked and drained pond in Grassy Point near Haverstraw, New York, and after completion were floated down the Hudson to the site.

[1][5][9] Dubbed "The World's Most Modern Pier" and the "Superpier",[5][6][9] it was hailed as an innovative structure, being fireproof, extremely durable and immune to many of the problems that had historically plagued wooden waterfront construction.

[10][11] In addition to serving as a park, the rooftop space insulates the building, collects rainwater, and filters air.

[1][13][14][15][16] Shortly after the fire, a replacement pier was planned, with the concrete caisson supports selected to provide a fireproof base.

[19] From its opening, the pier served as a terminal for shipping and storage of cargo for the company, replacing the original wooden structure.

Medical activists reportedly treated many people held at Pier 57 for chemical burns, rashes, and infections that resulted from direct, prolonged exposure to the motor oil, asbestos, and other contaminants from its days as a bus garage.

[23] Past proposals for re-use have included a 2004 competitive process pitting an extension of the nearby Chelsea Piers sports complex against "Leonardo at Pier 57", an Italian cultural center that was to be operated by Cipriani S.A.[24][25] However, an investigation by the DA's office sparked by an anonymous tip regarding financial irregularities caused the Cipriani team to back out and scuttled the process.

[27][28] The concept, dubbed the SuperPier after a nickname given to the structure in a 1952 Popular Mechanics article,[5] includes a retail shopping environment based on salvaged steel shipping containers and re-use of the roof and concrete-encased basement space below the waterline, as well as incubator office rental spaces for start-up companies.

[36][10][11] As of 2023[update], Pier 57 is currently owned by Hudson River Park Trust and leased to Young Woo & Associates and RXR Realty.