Bryant Park New York, New York
Changes made in the 1930s to insulate the park from city noise ultimately isolated it from the public; it fell into disrepair and misuse. New entrances and re-configured access points now invite visitation. Two food kiosks, restrooms, a park maintenance house, and the Bryant Park Grill and Café were added.
Location
New York, New York
Sector
Community
Service
Architecture
Client
Bryant Park Restoration Corporation
Status
Completed
Size
10 Acres
These modifications, with informal seating areas, brought the park back to life as a resting place, source of inspiration, and new and immensely popular venue for events such as fashion shows and film screening. The restaurant and café allow more than 1,400 patrons to dine inside, outside, and on the roof. The delicate looking buildings feature lattice pavilions with an abundance of natural plantings to blend with the landscape. Like the kiosks nestled among the trees in other parts of the square, they are reminiscent of traditional Parisian parks.
The one-story restaurant, conceived as a leafy bower, offers uninterrupted views of the outdoors. Its composition, an inner layer of glass and steel and an outer layer of woven aluminum and weathered-wood trelliswork, supports wisteria vines and large flower boxes.
AIA National Honor Award: Urban Design, 1994
American Society of Landscape Architecture: Design Merit Award, 1994
Urban Land Institute: Award for Excellence, 1996
Environmental Design Association: EDRA/Places Award for Design, 1998
