Newprojecte_rosa_barba

Newprojecte_rosa_barba

East River Waterfront Esplanade and Piers, New York City

“This project connects urban neighborhoods to the waterfront across multiple barriers of infrastructure” The design team and landscape architect have been working on the public space design of two miles of the East River for eleven years. The site sits partially beneath the elevated highway and partially over water on marine platform structure and includes reconstruction of Piers 15 and 35. The open space program includes a continuous public esplanade for bicycles and pedestrians, improved connections to the adjoining neighborhoods, and needed open space amenities.  Public features tucked under the elevated highway structure include restaurant pavilions, dog run, exercise platforms, swings, ball courts, skateboard area and seating areas. The design was conceived as a kit-of-parts to give the project an overall cohesiveness but allow for variation and adjustment in response to contextual conditions along its length.  Water edge features include fishing balconies, a stepped tidal get-down area, overlooks, and an innovative mussel habitat demonstration area, aka “Mussel Beach.” The project began with a master planning phase in 2005 and the project has been completed as a series of phases commencing with the “pilot project” that was completed in 2011, and followed by the construction of Pier 15 and “Mussel Beach” in 2012.  Pier 35 with its folded parterres and large scale folded topiary wall is currently under construction and scheduled for completion in 2019.

 

This project was part of a program of design excellence public projects initiated by the administration of Mayor Michael Bloomberg.  The City of New York adopted a policy to add one million new residents to the population of the city as part of a strategy to remain competitive as a world capitol city.  Part of the program to support the increase in population was a program to rezone old manufacturing and waterfront areas of the city for new development including construction of new waterfront parks and open spaces.

40.703482141292, -74.006066185449

Collaborators
Gregg Pasquarelli
Year of the project conception
2011-2019
COST (€/m²) ($/m²) (€/ha) ($/ha)
$167,000,000 total
Price category
Customer type
Administració pública
Customer Name
City of New York
Address
East River Lower Mahnattan
City / Place
New York
Region
New York
Country
United States