104 “The Way it Works” explains how the elements of the park and public space function. While the design is at the master plan stage, considerable work underlies the plan to ensure a strong foundation for future implementation. The West 8 Team includes landscape architecture, engineering, architecture, and operations/ maintenance experts. With the program brief as the starting point, the team systematically analyzed the following aspects of the plan:
• PROGRAM • TOPOGRAPHY • VIEWS • CIRCULATION • PAVING • EDGING • FURNISHINGS • PLANTING • PARK BUILDINGS The team looked at such details as construction methods for the Hills, micro-climatic conditions in different areas of the park and public spaces and their impact on plant choices, the number of visitor amenities needed, rising water levels and other factors. This level of analysis ensures that the Master Plan provides a robust framework for the next stages of design and construction.
105 ANATOMY OF THE PARK AND PUBLIC SPACES
Planting
Circulation and Paving
Edging
Topography
Existing Island
These individual systems comprise the core anatomy of the plan. Facing page: The park and public spaces are an integrated system of layered components.
106
New Yorkers gave suggestions for activities on Post-ItTM notes. This “word cloud” was generated by compiling the public’s suggestions for programming. The more frequently a suggestion occurs, the larger the word appears.
108 PROGRAM
The program brief for the park and public space is based on a number of key principles:
• To provide unique experiences that capitalize on the attributes of the Island and its harbor location • To create a destination that is worth the journey, that draws visitors back again and again • To provide enough activities and experiences for a visit of at least 2 ½ hours • To make places for ordinary activities within extraordinary settings • To offer a rich range of active and passive recreation choices • To create a place of delight and fun for New Yorkers of all ages and mobilities
GIPEC and the West 8 Team looked at the broad range of activities that people typically enjoy in parks, highlighted the kinds of activities and features that are particularly well-suited to the Island and observed what visitors currently enjoy doing on Governors Island. The team listened to suggestions from the public and studied which activities could serve the broadest range of visitors and fulfill the key principles, given the total number of acres of open space, the compatibility of program adjacencies and the site conditions. Throughout the design process, the design was tested against the program needs, as well as the budget and other considerations.
The public input process greatly aided the design team in clarifying the program and design. New Yorkers who came to the Island made a number of specific requests: for ice cream and places to eat, bicycling,
A diagram of the program activities in the design brief mapped to locations on the Island.
GOVERNORS ISLAND PARK AND PUBLIC SPACE MASTER PLAN THE WAY IT WORKS 109 ballfields, places to experience the water, play areas, art for nature and PLAY habitat. They also appreciated the Island’s quiet, its views, and its unique park-like quality. In workshops, they expressed the desire for The Island has special qualities that are appealing for children and flexible spaces to make their own and for deciding their own activities. families, including the lack of cars, the many bicycle paths, fresh air, the boat ride, and the sense of a bucolic oasis apart from the city. The design team and GIPEC made sure that there are different areas of It has already provided a setting for a broad array of family friendly the park for a wide range of activities. While such features as ballfields activities including arts programs, daytime performances and sports. and bicycle paths carefully consider the specific requirements for those activities, the Play Lawn, Hills and Great Promenade allow visitors a The Park and Public Space Master Plan enhances experiences for broad experience and create a setting for a varied set of programs, children with the addition of a variety of play areas throughout the which will take shape as the park and public spaces are used. Island, located at Liggett Terrace, Liberty Terrace and other natural gathering places. These play areas will each provide a different The plan also addresses visitors’ needs and requests for key amenities, challenge and experience. Some invite climbing or sliding. Others including food and drink, water and adequate rest rooms. While invite visitors to get wet or play in water. GIPEC and the West 8 Team visitors can bring their own food and drink for picnicking or grilling, hope to collaborate with artists to design appealing and safe play concessions will be available in at least three new structures planned experiences for children of all ages. for the park and public space. These structures will also house water fountains and rest rooms. The quantity of toilets and urinals was based on an analysis of usage in other destination parks and ferry terminals. A visitor will always be within a 10-minute walk of a rest room facility and drinking fountain.
LAWN BASED PROGRAMS
Lawns are the most flexible, comfortable, and cooling surface offered in a park. Governors Island’s park and public spaces include more than 20 acres of lawn areas distributed in locations all over the Island. Some of the lawns are graded to support a variety of sports as well as other activities. Some lawns have more rolling topography, which creates welcoming areas for sitting, large gatherings and performances and sunbathing. Paths for pedestrians and bicyclists criss-cross some of the southern lawns to create interesting ways to traverse the Island, but there are sufficient expanses of green to encourage picnicking, running barefoot or playing sports.
Lawn areas are available for picnics and barbecuing. The Island has a range of custom play features for children and adults.
110 HISTORIC DISTRICT SWINGING CLIMBING
LIGGETT TERRACE MONKEY BARS PARADE GROUND SPLASH PLAY CLIMBING SLIDE SOUND PLAY
LIBERTY TERRACE CLIMBING ROCKS HAMMOCK GROVE SPLASH PLAY HAMMOCKS SOUND SWINGING WATER SPRAY
HILLS SLIDE CLIMBING
PLAY AREA LOCATIONS
LEGEND
POTENTIAL PLAY AREA
CUSTOM PLAY AREA
0’ 100’ 250’ 500’ north
GOVERNORS ISLAND PARK AND PUBLIC SPACE MASTER PLAN THE WAY IT WORKS 111 CAR-FREE BICYCLING OASIS
Whether a person brings their own bicycle or uses one of the Island’s free bicycles, the car-free bicycling experience on Governors Island is totally unique in the New York region, if not the entire United States. From the outset, the park and public spaces are designed to ensure that Governors Island is a recreational bicycling oasis. FREE PICKUP BICYCLE RETURN TOUR BICYCLE A network of seven miles of bicycle paths winds throughout the Island’s SOISSONS SOISSONS public spaces. Some are rolling and curvy, some are straight and flat. SOUTHBROOKLYN BATTERY WATERFRONT THREE BRIDGES LIGGETT PROMENADE LIBERTY The paths have been designed to encourage recreational bicycling: wide MOSAICS VERRAZANO NEW YORK HARBOR CASTLE WILLIAMS HUDSON RIVER ELLIS ISLAND enough for two cyclists to “bike and chat” or a parent to ride next to a STATEN ISLAND FERRY MANHATTAN HORIZON child; and for bicyclists and pedestrians to pass safely and comfortably. Bicycle stations located at ferry arrival points and Liberty Terrace provide visitors with convenient places to pick-up or drop-off free bicycles. Special-accommodations bicycles will be available, along with helmets and children’s bicycles. Bicycle racks are located throughout the Island for personal or free bicycles. The racks are generally located within 50 feet of building entrances or popular park and public space destinations. FREE PICKUP BICYCLE RETURN The bicycle program is designed to be low-tech and worry-free. At any time, CRUISE BICYCLE visitors can leave or take free bicycles from bicycle racks or bicycle stations SOISSONSCONCERT LIBERTY BARBECUE with no need for a lock. Ease of use and the enjoyment of discovering the TERRACE park by bicycle will add to the carefree feeling of being on Governors Island. FREE PICKUP BICYCLE RETURN WANDERR BICYCLE SOISSONS THROUGH THE ARCH NAP UNDER A TREE ROMANTIC PICNIC YANKEE AROUND THE LAWN LANDING OUT ON INTOTHE PROWTHE GROVE
Bicycling has always been an enjoyable way to travel around the Island. A visitor can bicycle around the Island in a variety of ways, experiencing a different trip each time.
112 1
BICYCLE PROGRAM
LEGEND
BICYCLING ROUTES Two-way
FREE BICYCLE PICK-UP / DROP-OFF 750 Governors Island Bicycles
1 SOISSONS LANDING BICYCLE STATION Free bicycle pick-up 3 Helmet pick-up Air and repair attendant 4 2 YANKEE LANDING BICYCLE STATION Free bicycle pick-up 2 Helmet pick-up
3 LIBERTY TERRACE BICYCLE STATION Free bicycle pick-up Helmet pick-up
4 BICYCLE MAINTENANCE FACILITY Bicycle servicing and winter storage
BICYCLE RACKS Quantity varies for high traffic areas — can be adapted over time
0’ 100’ 250’ 500’ north
Seven miles of bicycle pathways
GOVERNORS ISLAND PARK AND PUBLIC SPACE MASTER PLAN THE WAY IT WORKS 113 PUBLIC ART
Public art has a distinctive and essential role in the Island’s park and public spaces, deeply enhancing the visitor experience. The variety of different areas provides numerous potential locations for public art commissions and installations. The budget for the park and public space includes an allowance for public art, and there will also be temporary installations by other organizations and artists.
The park and public space design includes intimate spaces and vast open vistas, sanctuary spaces and threshold spaces, and many interesting juxtapositions both beautiful and surreal. From the water’s edge to open lawn to the Arch, there are many thought-provoking places for site-specific art pieces.
This diagram suggests some of the many potential locations for these opportunities. Artists themselves will select the locations as well as the media for their work.
PUBLIC ART
LEGEND
POTENTIAL LOCATIONS
0’ 100’ 250’ 500’ north
114 BOAT AND WATER ACCESS SOISSONS PIER Boat access for Island visitors occurs at several locations in the plan. FERRY ACCESS Passenger ferries and water taxis embark and disembark at Soissons Landing and Yankee Landing. The vehicle ferry currently docks at Soissons Landing but will eventually move to a new dock to be built between Lima and Tango Piers on the southern part of the Island. PIER 101 FLOATING DOCK A kayak launch at Pier 101 provides water access and welcomes KAYAK LAUNCH visitors arriving by kayak. The National Park Service operates Pier 102. WATER TAXI ACCESS
Yankee Pier provides mooring for historic and educational vessels and allows visitors to walk out over water. The opening of Yankee Pier to PIER 102 NATIONAL PARK SERVICE PIER passenger ferry service will be coordinated with the Phasing of the park and public spaces on the southern portion of the Island.
YANKEE PIER FERRY AND WATER TAXI ACCESS BOAT AND WATER ACCESS WALK OUT OVER WATER HISTORIC BOAT MOORINGS LEGEND FLOATING DOCK
TANGO ACCESS POINT PIER
BOAT ARRIVAL LIMA PIER
0’ 100’ 250’ 500’ north
GOVERNORS ISLAND PARK AND PUBLIC SPACE MASTER PLAN THE WAY IT WORKS 115 TOPOGRAPHY
LEGEND
EL. +90’
EL. +80’
EL. +70’
+37.0’ [+30.0’] EL. +60’
EL. +50’
EL. +40’
EL. +30’
EL. +20’
EL. +12’ [PROJECTED 100-YEAR FLOOD LEVEL IN 2100]
EL. +10’
EL. +7’ [AVERAGE EXISTING SEAWALL]
EL. 0’ [SANDY HOOK DATUM]
SPOT ELEVATIONS: + Feet above sea level [+Feet above Island grade]
0’ 100’ 250’ 500’ north
Governors Island: existing topography.
116 TOPOGRAPHY
A landscape architect’s most transformative space-making tool is grading. Grading is used functionally to channel run-off and provide adequate drainage. Beyond the purely functional, however, grading creates heaving bulges and recesses, small dips and peaks, and +37.0’ [+30.0’] swaths of smooth, flat areas for an unfolding, undulating sequence of spaces.
+15.0’ [+8.0) Manipulating topography is a powerful way to create small and large +26.0’ [+19.0’] scaled spaces, conceal and reveal vistas, suggest intimate areas, and shape the ‘ah-ha’ moments in the park and public spaces. Sculpted topography works in concert with pathways and trees to choreograph the park experience. It maximizes the sense of anticipation, pulling a +24.0’ [+17.0’] visitor through the park or signaling a place to sit and stay in one place just a bit longer. It defines the very character of the areas of the park. +26.0’ [+19.0’] Reshaping and engineering the landscape is a fundamental strategy +66.0’ [+59.0’] of the Master Plan. The major re-grading begins just south of Liggett +89.0’ [+82.0’] Terrace. Here, in the Hammock Grove, fill is added to build a higher +14.0’ [+7.0’] +77.0’ [+70.0’] +53.0’ [+46.0’] woodland “threshold” masking views of the spaces beyond. Moving southward through the Hammock Grove, visitors emerge and traverse the gentle grading of the open Play Lawn. At the Play Lawn, the land drops imperceptibly on its western edge to bring people to the public +3.0’ [-4.0’] plaza at Liberty Terrace, which sits along the water’s edge. +15.0’ [+8.0) On the other side of the Play Lawn, its rolling grass rises to form the lower reaches of the Hills. The Hills themselves are the most dramatic form of the re-sculpted land. Across the southern half of the Island, grading is used to define the various areas and smoothly transition from one to the next. At the South Prow, the Hills frame the low-lying Wetland Gardens and set them off in dialogue with the wide expanse of New York Harbor.
Governors Island: proposed topography.
GOVERNORS ISLAND PARK AND PUBLIC SPACE MASTER PLAN THE WAY IT WORKS 117 THE HILLS 100% SLOPE
The West 8 Team suggested the creation of a vertical landscape as the SLOPE central concept in their competition entry, articulating the Hills’ potential REINFORCEMENT for an unparalleled view and transformative landscape. Throughout REQUIRED the Park and Public Space Master Plan design process, there has been extraordinary rigor in validating that this concept could be developed into a real landscape which meets standards for landscape design, 80% SLOPE: visitor experience, construction, creation of habitat and maintenance. BOLSTER WALLS WITH MAXIMUM NATURAL SLOPE STEEL GRID ELEMENTS, ANGLE (MAY BE SHALLOWER The conceptual design of the Hills was developed in concert with the EARTH NAILING, OR ACCORDING TO SOIL TYPE) REINFORCED EARTH team’s engineering consultants, ARUP. Working together, the West 8 Team determined feasible ways of building the Hills using standard 66% SLOPE: BOLSTER WALLS engineering methods. SLOPE SECURED MAXIMUM VALUE FOR UNSE- WITH GEOGRIDS CURED SLOPES, REGULAR SLOPE FOR ROAD BUILDING They concluded that building requires a “pre-loading” construction 1:1.5 phase where weight from fill is applied to the hill areas so that the earth beneath stabilizes and drains out trapped water over time, approximately 18 months. The engineers and designers worked in 50% SLOPE: concert with cost estimators to ensure that the phasing and overall RECOMMENDED MAXIMUM VALUE FOR MEADOW SLOPES IN topography plan fit within the project budget. 90% 1:2 PARKS 70% The Hills are engineered using construction methods keyed to three GOVERNORS ISLAND MAXIMUM SLOPE EROSION PROTECTION different grades. Hill grade is measured in terms of a ratio of the vertical MATS RECOMMENDED rise to the horizontal run. An area where the elevation rises by one foot 33% SLOPE: as you move three feet across has a ratio of 1:3 (also described as a RECOMMENDED MAXIMUM 1:3 33% slope), and an area where the elevation rises by one foot as you VALUE FOR SLOPING LAWNS IN move one foot across has a ratio of 1:1 (also described as a 45% slope). 45% PARKS
For areas where the side slopes have a ratio of 1 (vertical) to 3 (horizontal) or flatter, reinforced earth is not required. The slope is conventional fill NO SLOPE REINFORCEMENT 33.5% embankment using common borrow or cement-treated dredge material. REQUIRED 15% SLOPE: The fill is compacted in layers and top dressed with topsoil. UNRESTRICTED USE OF MOWING 18.3% MACHINES PERMISSIBLE
8.5%
This chart shows engineering guidelines for the Hill slope construction.
118 Construction Methods for Slopes GEOTEXTILES OPTION A
Where the hill slopes are between 1 (vertical) to 3 (horizontal) and 1 (vertical) to 1 (horizontal) the mounds are constructed around a 01 EROSION PROTECTION MAT core of recycled demolition material and dredged material. This core 02 GEOGRID is then surrounded by a reinforced earth slope of select granular 03 FILTER MATERIAL 04 TOPSOIL fill. The two fill zones are separated by geotextile (permeable fabric) 05 SEEPAGE RUN, CLAD IN FILTER FLEECE mats. Bi-axial and uni-axial grid reinforcement are embedded within. 06 DRAINAGE Topsoil is placed over the granular fill and turf reinforced sod matting is installed to protect plantings. GEOTEXTILES OPTION B For slopes at 1 (vertical) to 1 (horizontal) or steeper (up to 70o), the hill sections are constructed out of a series of reinforced earth walls and reinforced sloped embankment at a ratio of 1 (vertical) 01 FILLED GROUND to 3 (horizontal). This creates a terrace effect at the steepest slope 02 STAKE sections. This construction requires three different fill materials with 03 REINFORCEMENT GRID 04 GEOTEXTILE FLEECE, GEOGRID separation geotextile laid at each interface.
Recycled building demolition material and dredged material form the core, surrounded by select granular fill material. Outside the core, the wall facing can have a variety of finish treatments. It can be exposed GEOTEXTILES OPTION C AND D and sculpted masonry or concrete or it can be planted. A planted facing consists of wire baskets filled with two to four-inch stone covered with galvanized welded wire faces. The face is then prepared 01 EROSION PROTECTION with a turf mat and planted to conceal the wire basket structures. 02 TOPSOIL 03 STEEL GRID ELEMENTS The design of the Hills evolved throughout the master planning 04 SPACER process, in parallel with understanding of the engineering, fill and 05 FILTER MATERIAL GEOGRID materials required. Hill locations were shifted. The team worked out 06 the accessibility of pathways. Each hill was shaped and re-shaped to make it an enjoyable place to be, to frame views, and to maximize views from the top. Forms and slopes were adjusted to make the Hills a more productive habitat and better growing medium for vegetation ranging from ground covers to large trees. Each hill is asymmetrical with one steeper face and other shallower faces. These are sculpted in relationship to each other.
Section diagrams showing options of geotextile techniques for hill construction.
GOVERNORS ISLAND PARK AND PUBLIC SPACE MASTER PLAN THE WAY IT WORKS 119 SECTIONS OF THE GREAT PROMENADE
The South Prow Overlook and a stretch of the western Promenade will be elevated seven feet above the existing grade. This strategy, using fill material, creates two parallel pathways, one lower and one higher.
Raising the Great Promenade has many benefits: Section Location Key
• It increases the locations and variety of view points — just a seven-foot elevation creates a different perspective on the Harbor than the view from the same spot at grade.
• It creates areas for seating and separates pedestrians from bicycles in an area where people are likely to linger and UPPER LEVEL enjoy the views. EL. +15.0’ 8’ • By raising the grade, trees planted on the upper level will LOWER have their roots lifted above the future flood elevation level, LEVEL ensuring decades of growth and shade. EL. +7.0’ 16’ 23’ 13’ 9’
16’
WESTERN PROMENADE
LEGEND
PROJECTED FEMA 100 YEAR FLOOD LEVEL EL. +12.0’ Western Promenade: A section showing the western Promenade when elevated seven feet above existing grade with new trees.
120 Section Location Key Section Location Key
UPPER LEVEL EL. +15.0’
8’
WETLAND GARDENS 16’ EL. +3.0’ 20’ 23’ 21’ 13’ 14’ 9’ 12’
SOUTH PROW OVERLOOK
LEGEND
PROJECTED FEMA 100 YEAR FLOOD LEVEL EL. +12.0’
South Prow Overlook: Eastern Promenade: A section showing the South Prow Overlook when elevated seven feet above existing grade with new trees. A section showing the eastern Promenade at the existing grade, which preserves existing London plane trees.
GOVERNORS ISLAND PARK AND PUBLIC SPACE MASTER PLAN THE WAY IT WORKS 121 Parks are more pleasurable and more memorable if they have a rich layering of spatial qualities. The new topography at the southern portion of Governors Island cultivates the views of the Harbor. The park and public spaces will be designed in a way that these views even will be dramatized: by adding foregrounds, by framing, by hiding and revealing and by making great Harbor vistas part of a sequence of progressive experiences. The Master Plan recognizes this quality of the combination of topography and tree positioning by distinguishing these four essential layers of visual effect.
0’ 500’ north
Perimeter views: views of all aspects of the Harbor, in succession. Highpoint views: views from the 3600 degree hilltop panoramas and existing Fort Jay.
122 VIEWS
Guided views: the new landscapes and paths conceal and reveal views that culminate at the water’s edge. Framed views: places in the landscape to discover extraordinary composed views of foreground and background features These are important views.
GOVERNORS ISLAND PARK AND PUBLIC SPACE MASTER PLAN THE WAY IT WORKS 123 CIRCULATION TYPES
LEGEND
PEDESTRIAN ONLY
PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE
PEDESTRIAN, BICYCLE AND VEHICLE
PUBLIC ACCESS CORRIDORS IN DEVELOPMENT ZONES
0’ 100’ 250’ 500’ north
124 CIRCULATION
Clear, organized circulation is essential to the legibility of the park and public spaces and to the safety of users. A network of pathways and roads serves pedestrians, bicyclists, and service vehicles, with a hierarchy of path uses and path sizes. While pedestrians, bicyclists and service vehicles all use the Island, the plan gives priority to pedestrians and bicyclists while maintaining necessary functionality for vehicles.
All pathways on the Island are pedestrian accessible, and some are only open to pedestrian users. Bicycling is also a primary means of circulation. The Island has an extensive bicycle pathway system that includes wider paths shared with pedestrian users. These bicycling paths have been located to reach the Island’s featured destinations, and are designed to make riding intuitive and easy.
The Island does not permit private vehicles, but delivery, maintenance and emergency vehicles are present and play an important support function. The roadways for these service, emergency uses and tram routes are consolidated into primary routes and do not dominate the visitor’s park and public space experience.
GIPEC policy provides for public access corridors through the development zones to connect various inland areas of the park and public spaces to the Great Promenade and to connect the open spaces of the development zones to the Island’s public spaces. These are important physical and visual access corridors whose exact locations will be established as needed.
8’ 12’ 8’
The new 20-foot-wide paths on the southern part of the Island are composed of an eight-foot-wide New pedestrian-only paths on the southern part pedestrian walkway and a 12-foot-wide shared bicycle and tram lane. of the Island are eight feet wide.
GOVERNORS ISLAND PARK AND PUBLIC SPACE MASTER PLAN THE WAY IT WORKS 125 PAVING TYPES
LEGEND
MOSAIC PAVING
BRICK
ASPHALT
COMPACTED CRUSHED GRAVEL
0’ 100’ 250’ 500’ north
126 PAVING
There is a conscious effort to correlate paving treatments and MOSAIC PAVING expression to the character of different park and public space areas and experiences. The horizontal plane underfoot (or under bicycle Mosaic paving is used at primary gathering and arrival areas, including tires) contributes significantly to the experience. Yankee and Soissons Landings, and Liggett and Liberty Terraces. Seeing the unfolding, richly detailed pattern underfoot signals to Stretches of path and the Great Promenade are surfaced in smooth visitors that they have arrived in a special place where they might asphalt while special paving types and mosaic patterns mark areas spend some time. in which to stay and linger. The asphalt and mosaic of the Great Promenade unfold coherently to underscore the continuous experience West 8 has used mosaic paving in projects around the world. The of this grand path around the entire Island perimeter. Historic brick pattern draws on the narrative and context of the site to enhance its pathways are maintained and restored. The paths on the Hills, character and human scale. Locally-inspired patterns are constructed designed for pedestrians, reflect the natural character and habitat of out of smooth-finished granite cobbles, which are sized and laid level this area with paving used to optimize accessibility. to meet accessibility codes. This type of stone mosaic surface brings visual delight but is also easily traversed by pedestrians, wheelchair When the Island was a military base, there were acres of asphalt, users, strollers and bicyclists. including miles of roads and 2,200 parking spaces. Twenty acres of asphalt have been removed and planted. West 8 develops the specification for the mosaic paving specifically for each project, tailoring it to the local labor market, the site and the capacity of the maintenance staff. Patterns can be pre-assembled for ease in installation. Where vehicular traffic is not required, the mosaic paving can be set on a sand base, which allows rainwater to drain through the joints.
Custom mosaic-style paving converts Island-derived inspiration into durable ornament.
GOVERNORS ISLAND PARK AND PUBLIC SPACE MASTER PLAN THE WAY IT WORKS 127 EDGING LOCATIONS
LEGEND
EDGING LOCATIONS
0’ 100’ 250’ 500’ north
128 EDGING
Edging is another key element of the Park and Public Space Master Plan. Edging surrounds and defines the perimeters of lawn and planted areas and the “pillow-shaped” topography. Edging serves multiple functions: clarifying paths, guiding bicyclists, and retaining grade. Its height correlates with the rolling topography and has a light, contrasting tone with adjacent materials. The result is a heightened definition of Low wide edging the curved paths and topography that makes circulation highly legible, interconnected, and a visual delight. Edging “paints” the park — calling attention to the gentle undulation of the topography that draws you further into the park and public spaces.
Four categories of edging are used, and each varies in height and cross- sectional shape according to the different function that it supports. Low, wide edging provides a durable edge that defines areas of lawn or Ramp edging garden from pathways or terrace areas. Ramp edging, spaced regularly, provides universal access, bicycle access and maintenance equipment access. Retaining and/or seat edging retains grade where the topography rises and falls along the park and public space pathways. Retaining and non-retaining seat edging occurs at the Play Lawn, Soissons Landing, South Battery, the upper level of the western Promenade and the South Prow Overlook, and supplements bench seating provided throughout the Island. Retaining and/or seat edging Edging sections are mass produced in a handful of curved and straight sections which will be used in combination. The edging can be made from precast concrete or granite. Precast concrete allows the edges to have ornamental textured surfaces such as scales and feathers, which give visual interest and expression. The profile of the edging is soft in its effect: rounded and smooth to correlate to the undulating topography, while providing comfort for park visitors to sit and even lie down on the Non-retaining seat edging Edging is functional and adaptable: to clarify circulation, to provide a clear seat walls. maintenance edge, to provide seating and to define topography.
GOVERNORS ISLAND PARK AND PUBLIC SPACE MASTER PLAN THE WAY IT WORKS 129 Furnishings that will be provided include a variety of seating, promenade railing, signage, wayfinding, lighting and the Governors Island Bicycle.
130 FURNISHINGS
Seating, lighting and other furnishings are critical to the visitor’s BICYCLES experience of any public space or park. An array of well-designed and well-located furnishings makes for a comfortable and inviting One of the signature experiences on the Island is riding the free experience. Furnishings help establish character and feel. They Governors Island Bicycle. The free bicycle prototype designed by also must be highly functional in terms of maintenance, durability, West 8 in the competition phase was assembled out of wood, readily replacement cost and ease of use. available components and a distinctive basket.
BENCHES, PROMENADE RAILING, LIGHT POSTS AND OTHERS The Governors Island Bicycle does not look like other bicycles because it is available only on Governors Island. It is made out of wood with All of the furnishings provide a necessary function (like trash a distinctive design because bicycling on the Island is an activity receptacles) but will be carefully selected from manufacturers or purely of recreation and pleasure. The bicycle is made out of natural designed by the West 8 Team to seamlessly integrate into the park materials because the Island is an oasis of green apart from the grid and public space design. Custom-designed elements will be durable, of the City. The free bicycle does not resemble conventional bicycles functional, comfortable, and enjoyable. Seating edges and benches so the visitor will not confuse it with other visitors’ personal bicycles. will be inviting for sitting upright or laying back. The promenade railing It is available only on the Island, accessible by boat, so theft is not a will be designed for safety and delight. Light posts will be placed for concern. And the Governors Island Bicycle is a symbol of the Island’s minimal intrusion in the landscape. Drinking fountains, handrails, democratic spirit because it is free. signage, and additional furnishings like barbecue grills and picnic tables will respect value and function as well. The actual design of the Governors Island Bicycle will be specified SEAT MOVABLE LIGHTING PROMENADE RAILING during a later design phase. It should embody many of these unique EDGING TABLES AND CHAIRS The West 8-designed furnishings will draw from the vast pool of qualities but must address practical concerns as well, including costs inspiration that the Island provides for clues to embellish the designs. to assemble, repair and maintain, ease of use, safety, durability and Therefore, the sea might result in a promenade railing that appears to flexibility. The construction budget includes the cost of 750 Governors move like a school of fish. Fish-scale textures might appear on pre- Island Bicycles, and the operations and maintenance plan includes the PICNIC HAMMOCK GRILL TABLES cast benches. The bottom of lamp posts may have a raptor’s claw costs of operating the program and maintaining the bicycles. “anchoring” them to the ground. BENCHES
GOVERNORS WATER SIGNAGE ISLAND FOUNTAINS BICYCLES
GOVERNORS ISLAND PARK AND PUBLIC SPACE MASTER PLAN THE WAY IT WORKS 131 The planting strategy provides a rich range of species, ecologies, habitat types, seasonality and experiences.
132 PLANTING
The Historic District’s protected conditions, higher elevations and quality top soils make for ideal conditions to grow large, beautiful shade trees and support other plantings. On the southern half of the Island, poor quality soil, exposure to harsh salty winds, and poor draining soils have resulted in the stunted and stressed existing trees. The Governors Island Park and Public Space Master Plan increases botanic diversity across the southern half of the Island — complementing the botanic variety of the Historic District and integrating the two parts of the Island into a thriving whole.
The overarching planting strategies are:
• Use native plants as the backbone of different plant communities for four season beauty, diversity, and habitats • Plant to micro-climatic conditions • Utilize stormwater and grey water to support plant communities • Plant more where the soils are better • Use light and shade to vary and unify park and public space experiences
PLANT MORE WHERE THE SOILS ARE BETTER The creation of new topography provides dramatically improved soil conditions in the southern portion of the Island with the addition of new fill and high quality top soil. Projected rising sea levels would have roots sitting in brackish sea water — a condition in which trees cannot survive. To address this condition, the plan re-grades major portions of the southern end of the Island to elevations above the future projected flood levels. In this way, the hundreds of new trees planted in the Hammock Grove, the Play Lawn, the Hills, and the Great Promenade will have their roots clear from rising sea water and grow for decades to come in better quality soil. Raising the Island’s topography lifts the root zones of new planting above projected flood levels.
GOVERNORS ISLAND PARK AND PUBLIC SPACE MASTER PLAN THE WAY IT WORKS 133 LIGHT AND SHADE PLANT TO MICROCLIMATIC CONDITIONS
The tree planting strategy varies the sequence of light and shade Because much of the site is close to the water and exposed to the throughout the park and public spaces. This modulation of light Harbor, it has a complex microclimate system. Plant types and species enriches the drama of walking from one area to the next. While in selection takes microclimate variations into consideration to assure the filtered shade of a tree-filled area one sees a bright, sunny spot long term plant health. Environmental factors affecting microclimate, beyond. By playing up this syncopated sequence of light and shade, such as salt spray, high winds, poor soils, groundwater levels, and sun the design gives visitors a variety of experiences that change with the exposure, were identified and analyzed on the Island. Then, a range of seasons and times of day. species was identified that can tolerate, and indeed thrive, in the park and public spaces’ microclimatic conditions. The treatment of sunlight also helps to knit the northern and southern parts of the Island into a related experience. The Historic District sets the bright and sunny Parade Ground in contrast with shady Nolan Park and Colonels Row. The southern portion of the Island’s landscapes similarly continue this rhythm of sunny open areas in the Play Lawn and areas of deeper shade in the Hammock Grove. NAKED BARE refuge eclipse deep silhouette cloak RETREAT FOLD CONCEAL SHADOW EMBEDDED SHELTERED AIR INSULATE inward ECLIPSE PROTECTED dim HIDDEN cloud SOLITARY entwine SHELTERED masked safe EMBRACE QUIET VEIL SHADE envelop confined DEN PROTECTED twilight OPEN shield enclosed unprotected obscure peeled LIGHT REVEAL vulnerable CONTAINED EXPOSED RAW
SOUTH South Prow The Hills Play Lawn Hammock Grove Liggett Terrace Colonels Row Parade Ground Nolan Park NORTH
The experiential quality of light and shade establishes a noticeable rhythm across the Island.
134 CCOLONELSOLONELS RROWOW
NNOLANOLAN PARADE PPARKARK GROUND
HHAMMOCKAMMOCK GGROVEROVE PLAY LIGHT AND SHADOW QUALITIES LAWN LEGEND
FULL SUNSHINE TTHEHE HHILLSILLS
HALF SHADE SOUTH PROW
DEEP SHADE
DEVELOPMENT ZONE
0’ 100’ 250’ 500’ north
GOVERNORS ISLAND PARK AND PUBLIC SPACE MASTER PLAN THE WAY IT WORKS 135 PLANT COMMUNITIES
The backbone of the planting concept is a core selection of trees, shrubs, and groundcovers from plant communities that are native to the New York region. This framework reinforces the natural potential of the park and public spaces and allows specific design strategies to be met through the pairing of native species with adapted ornamental plantings.
Plant species selection will be based on the Island’s environmental conditions and the Park and Public Space Master Plan’s design intent of Allée planting Historic canopies Flower gardens (Great Promenade & Historic District) (Historic District) (Liggett Terrace) stirring the imagination, celebrating the seasons, providing shelter, and contributing to the diversity of habitat. The native-intense selections feature plants from six different native plant communities based on compatibility to different areas of the site. Plants are then selected based on form, seasonal interest, and texture. Tolerance to wind, varying soil chemistry and moisture also weigh heavily in the selection.
The native palettes are a unifying element allowing habitat transitions. The ratio of native to ornamental plantings will be developed during the design process. The intent is to consider native plants first and strengthen the visitor’s year-round experience with non-native plants that offer specific form and function within a specific programmed space. Botanic tree collection Open lawn (Hammock Grove) (Play Lawn, South Prow, The Hills, Historic District)
Hillside species Wetland garden collection (The Hills) (South Prow)
136 ALLÉE PLANTING
The existing allées are mainly composed of London plane trees along the Island perimeter and throughout the northern portion of the Island. They contribute to the spatial structure and character of the Historic District. They are key elements of the Great Promenade experience. New canopy trees are planted to supplement and strengthen existing allées in the Historic District and to create a cohesive and unifying planting framework around the entire Island.
LONDON PLANE TREE LONDON PLANE TREE PLATANUS X ACERIFOLIA PLATANUS X ACERIFOLIA
OAKS QUERCUS SPECIES LONDON PLANE TREE PLATANUS X OAKS ACERIFOLIA QUERCUS LONDON PLANE TREE SPECIES PLATANUS X ACERIFOLIA
OAKS LONDON PLANE QUERCUS TREE SPECIES PLATANUS X ACERIFOLIA
GOVERNORS ISLAND PARK AND PUBLIC SPACE MASTER PLAN THE WAY IT WORKS 137 HISTORIC CANOPIES
The planting approach for the Historic District is to use a light touch to preserve mature trees, enhance the visitor experience at the pedestrian scale, and provide increased botanic variety through seasonal display. There are limited and selective replantings of trees and foundation plantings around the bases of buildings. A successional planting strategy ensures the maintenance of a mature tree canopy in the future.
The lawn of the Parade Ground is flanked by two inwardly focused greens at Colonels Row and Nolan Park. Each area includes a diverse palette of mature deciduous canopy trees with smaller scale plantings clustered along the residential structures. New plantings are located to reinforce historic rhythm, and seasonality is enhanced with the introduction of understory flowering trees in each area. Plant selections are made with maintenance and light conditions as important determinants.
SOURWOOD COLONELS OXYDENDRON ROW ARBOREUM
EASTERN COLONELS REDBUD ROW CERCIS CANADENSIS
HOSTA SPECIES LONDON PLANE TREE PLATANUS X LONDON PLANE ACERIFOLIA WITCH ALDER TREE FOTHERGILLA GARDENII PLATANUS X ACERIFOLIA
138 FLOWER GARDENS
Liggett Terrace provides the gateway to the southern portion of the Island and serves as a major public gathering spot. Liggett Terrace features seasonally diverse plantings that are memorable and hold interest for people of all ages. The intense programming of this area lends itself to ornamental planting that will thrive in a very active area. The rich Mesophytic forest community provides the framework for species selection here. This community typically includes a wide variety of canopy trees and well developed layers of understory trees and shrubs. This palette is combined with ornamental flowering trees, perennials and bulbs to form a lush, seasonal landscape.
POET'S EUROPEAN DAFFODIL BEE BALM HORNBEAM NARCISSUS MONARDA DIDYAMA CARPINUS RECURVUS BETULUS
DOVE TREE DAVIDIA INVOLUCRATA LAVENDER MIX TULIP LAVANDULA GARDEN SPECIES TULIP TREE LIRIODENDON TULIPIFERA
SHADBLOW LONDON PLANE TREE ANNUAL SERVICEBERRY PLATANUS X ACERIFOLIA PLANTINGS AMELANCHIER CANADENSIS
GOVERNORS ISLAND PARK AND PUBLIC SPACE MASTER PLAN THE WAY IT WORKS 139 BOTANIC TREE COLLECTION
The location of the Hammock Grove provides an excellent opportunity for botanic diversity and visual interest. Its inland location and added fill provides wind protection and rich soils thus enabling the design to incorporate trees and plants that would not flourish elsewhere on the island. Overstory trees are planted in linear groups that rise with the topography and carry over the serpentine walks creating living scrims that add structure to the native forest context.
The selection of plants in the Hammock Grove is guided by the oak- hickory forest community and includes tulip poplar, American beech, bitternut hickory, red oak, and sweet birch. This community provides a diverse tree canopy, seasonal color and a variety of form, light and shade. The native, intense nut-producing trees benefit wildlife, as does the lush ground plane typical of this forest community. The native experience is heightened by unique plantings that SHAGBARK HICKORY are nestled in hospitable CARYA microclimates. Plants OVATA OAK HICKORY are selected so the TULIP MIX POPLAR seasons are keenly LIRIODENDRON expressed by their bark, TULIPIFERA texture, berries and FLOWERING RUNNING flowers. Large flowering SOURWOOD DOGWOOD EUONYMUS OXYDENDRUM CORNUS EUONYMUS shrubs create the feeling ARBOREUM FLORIDA OBOVATUS BIRCH of enclosure. The BETULA ground cover is selected FOAM SPECIES SEDUM HALF FLOWER 'ANGELINA' SHADE SEDUM for shade tolerance and TIARELLA EFFECT CORDIFOLIA REPESTRE contrasting texture.
140 OPEN LAWN
The Play Lawn provides an open spatial contrast to the adjacent shady Hammock Grove. It allows for passive and active lawn recreation for park and public space users. Tree placement and selection reinforce the monumentality and openness of the site. Multi-purpose lawns and ballfields feature natural grass. These lawn areas are planted with mixtures of grass seed chosen for the microclimate conditions and the intensity of planned use. Large individual specimen trees punctuate the lawn areas to add character and scale.
The woody plant material is selected from the oak opening native plant community. In nature, these openings occur between larger patches of contiguous forest in the grass/savanna communities of New York State. The canopy species here are mostly white and black oak supplemented with picturesque specimen shade trees. The understory is primarily open lawns and ballfields with perennial MIXED GRASSES beds representing the native savanna community.
WHITE NORTHERN Edges of these areas are PLAY SEA PINE OATS planted with grasses and LAWN PINUS CHASMANTHIUM STROBUS LATIFOLIUM perennials to increase biodiversity, provide visual interest, and guide foot TURF traffic.
BLACK EYED LITTLE NO SUSAN BLUESTEM MOW RUDBECKIA SCHIZACHYRIUM MIX HIRTA SCOPARIUM
GOVERNORS ISLAND PARK AND PUBLIC SPACE MASTER PLAN THE WAY IT WORKS 141 HILLSIDE SPECIES
The Hills’ plants are selected from the successional maritime forest and shrubland community. These communities are often dominated by one type of plant species with a limited variety of supporting understory species. Each hill has a unique dominant planting that is compatible with the intense salt spray and wind that affects this area. An understory of evergreen and flowering ground covers provide habitat, reinforce the hills, and visual diversity. Dominant species on the Hills are pitch pines, sumacs, birches and gingko. The pines are planted with eastern red cedar and Atlantic white cedar. Several varieties of sumac, such as staghorn sumac, winged sumac, and smooth sumac are planted together. The understory is planted with fragrant sumac and a variety of evergreen groundcovers.
When installed, plants will vary in size to add visual variety and create an established landscape from day one. Trees and shrubs can be as
small as bare root plantings WHITE BETULA SPP STAGHORN PINE BIRCH SPECIES SUMAC and small containers, and PINUS STAGHORN SUMAC RHUS as large as balled and STROBUS RHUS TYPHINA TYPHINA
burlapped trees. Using STAGHORN WHITE WHITE GINKGO SUMAC smaller material in this way GINKGO PINE PINE RHUS BILOBA PINUS PINUS is cost effective and allows TYPHINA STROBUS STROBUS planting in many of the WHITE ledges and small niches HILLSIDE PINE SITTING ON THE LAWN CHARACTER PINUS that may not accept large STROBUS root balls. BIRCH BIRCH PERENNIAL FOREST FOREST WILDFLOWER BETULA BETULA SPECIES MIX SPECIES
142 WETLAND GARDEN COLLECTION
The Wetland Gardens at the South Prow are meant to provide a habitat at the intersection of saltwater and freshwater and to contribute to the diversity of habitats on the Island for birds, plants, and insects. Plantings for the Wetland Gardens are selected from the coastal oak-heath forest community and the brackish interdunal swales community. These native communities experience direct salt spray and harsh winds in varying degrees. Coastal oak-heath forests and interdunal swales thrive in these conditions and can tolerate the high water table, making them an excellent framework with which to select native species.
The Wetland Gardens, full of plants such as feather reed grass, northern sea oats, bearberry, and sea lavender, captivate visitors with their unusual plant mix, color, fragrance, taste, and texture. Blueberry, heathers and beach grass are combined with select evergreens to
SEA LAVEN- AZORES provide a rich seasonal SEDUM DER BLUEBERRY SPECIES LIMONIUM VACCINIUM planting along the water. LATIFOLIUM CYLINDRACEUM Scarlet oak and white oak are planted with a selection AMERICAN BEECH GRASS of wind tolerant evergreens AMMOPHILIA NARROW LEAVED BREVILIGULATA BLUEBERRY and ornamentals to frame CATTAIL FIELD TYPHA VACCINUM SPECIES views and provide winter BLACK RUSH ANGUSTIFOLIA interest. The picnic JUNCUS GERARDII grounds are planted with turf grass for picnicking SEA LAVEN- BLUEBERRY DER MIXED FIELD and sunbathing next to the LIMONIUM WILDFLOWERS VACCINUM gardens and the water. LATIFOLIUM SPECIES
GOVERNORS ISLAND PARK AND PUBLIC SPACE MASTER PLAN THE WAY IT WORKS 143 HABITAT
An early name for Governors Island was Nooten Eylant or “Nut Island,” given by the Dutch in recognition of the forests of nut trees that once flourished there. These trees would have provided rich habitat for other plants, birds, insects and mammals, but no evidence remains of the trees or the other species they supported. The Dutch settlers cleared the Island in the 17th century, and the Island’s subsequent uses focused on military needs, not the creation of habitat. While the northern half of the Island has an array of trees with an understory of lawn, the southern half of the Island has acres of buildings and asphalt. Birds, including Canada geese, visit and reside on the Island but there is room to improve habitat qualities for their respite.
The Park and Public Space Master Plan transforms the Island into a productive habitat supporting birds, plants, insects, trees, and grasses with a strong focus on the selection of native species of plants and trees. More than 1,300 new trees will be planted as well as a rich array of plants designed to great interest for birds and insects, not just humans.
The Hammock Grove, sheltered from maritime winds, will be home to a rich array of trees and plantings, including species of nut trees. The Hills too will be greened with trees and plants and hopefully will serve as a beacon for songbirds and raptors as well as humans. The Wetland Gardens provide a unique setting mixing fresh and salt waters to nourish such native plants as sea lavender, black rush, and beach grass together with other water-loving plants to provide food, interest and cover for waterfowl, shorebirds, and insects.
This diagram shows the array of birds, insects, and mammals that could be attracted to Governors Island’s parks and public spaces when habitats are improved.
144 SIGNIFICANT HABITAT AREAS
LEGEND
OPEN LAWN Songbirds, insects, invertebrates
CANOPY COVER Songbirds, raptors, insects, arboreal mammals
FLOWER GARDENS Moths, butterflies, honeybees, songbirds
GROVE Songbirds, raptors, arboreal mammals, insects
HILLSIDES Songbirds, raptors, insects, arboreal mammals
WETLAND GARDENS Waterfowl, shorebirds, songbirds, invertebrates, insects
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + RIPRAP AND SHOALS Fish, oysters, mussels, seals, waterfowl
NATURAL BEACH Crustaceans, shorebirds, invertebrates
PROTECTED SLOPES Songbirds, insects, invertebrates 0’ 100’ 250’ 500’ north
GOVERNORS ISLAND PARK AND PUBLIC SPACE MASTER PLAN THE WAY IT WORKS 145 SOISSONS FERRY PAVILION
THE SHELL
0’ 100’ 250’
YANKEE LANDING PARK BUILDINGS
LEGEND
PARK BUILDING
POTENTIAL CONCESSION
6-8 minute walk 1000’ Radius MAINTENANCE AREA
0’ 100’ 250’ 500’ north
Park buildings, including visitor services and amenities, are located within a six to eight minute walk from almost any point in the public spaces
146 PARK BUILDINGS
The Park and Public Space Master Plan includes conceptual-level SOISSONS FERRY PAVILION designs for three buildings to serve visitors and their needs for rest, refreshment, and information: Soissons Ferry Pavilion, the Shell at The Soissons Ferry Pavilion provides an indoor ferry waiting area, Liberty Terrace, and the Cube at Yankee Landing. restrooms, concession and continued home for the National Park Service bookstore. The adaptive reuse of 6,000 square feet of the Governors Island has 52 existing landmark buildings as well as building, previously known as Building 140, restores its entrance to development zones in the southern portion of the Island where new the north side and provides the opportunity for a welcoming patio at buildings may be constructed. These buildings may include a mix the building’s front. The south side of the building fronts on the Great of such private and public uses as cultural institutions, educational Promenade, widened at this point to accommodate a free bicycle institutions, retail and restaurants, hospitality, or entertainment that station and bicycle racks. would be available for visitors to the Island’s park and public space. This Master Plan does not address the uses for these existing or new buildings or amenities for future tenants.
Every place within the park and public spaces is within an easy 10 minute walk or few minute bicycle ride of one of the three park visitor buildings. The plan also includes park maintenance facilities, including a main facility plus several secondary storage facilities. The program needs, quantities and sizes for all of the park buildings has been determined by the team, working with ETM Associates, and is based on projected visitation and comparison with other visitor and maintenance facilities in public parks. The park and public space budget includes construction costs for all of these structures.
In addition to the concession area just west of Soissons Landing, the plan suggests other sites for future concessions which could be kiosks or carts widening the selection of food and amenities for Island visitors.
Building 140 will be renovated into the Soissons Ferry Pavilion.
GOVERNORS ISLAND PARK AND PUBLIC SPACE MASTER PLAN THE WAY IT WORKS 147 THE SHELL
Visitors at the upper level of the western Promenade look out over Liberty Terrace and enjoy spectacular views of the Statue of Liberty. Walking down steps cut through an opening in the Great Promenade, visitors enter the Shell, an enveloping, sculpted environment “eroded” from the earth between the Great Promenade’s upper and lower levels. The hollow structure is sheltered against the elements providing a destination for year-round access to framed views of the Statue of Liberty and New York Harbor.
The Shell, designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, is reminiscent of the interior of an oyster shell that was shaped by its aquatic environment over time to form continuous but variegated surfaces.
Floor, walls and ceiling of the space might be covered in pearlescent tiling, with surfaces sculpted into a variety of soft shapes. Integral seats, love seats, lounge chairs, and tabletops form an alluring and otherworldly landscape for sitting, reclining and dining. The Shell contains approximately 2,200 feet of sheltered space with a seating area, a food concession, restrooms and storage. Tables and chairs on Liberty Terrace also invite visitors to relax and dine outside.
Sheltered from the rain and wind, the Shell offers a warm embrace in the winter with geothermal heating of the interior surfaces through embedded radiant piping. For the hotter summer months, cold water stored throughout the winter cools the surrounding surfaces acclimatizing the Shell as a year-round destination for comfortable resting, meeting and socializing. Spectators from the Play Lawn, couples enjoying the sunset and children running through Liberty Terrace fountains all enjoy the amenities, shelter and unique form of the Shell.
The Shell is cut into the Great Promenade, providing seating, shelter, and exceptional views.
148 The Shell as seen from above.
Visitors enter the Shell from the upper and lower levels of the Great Promenade
STEPS AND CONCESSION SEATING GREAT PROMENADE
Seating, restrooms and concession are on the ground level. This section demonstrates how the Shell is integrated into the two-level Promenade.
GOVERNORS ISLAND PARK AND PUBLIC SPACE MASTER PLAN THE WAY IT WORKS 149 YANKEE LANDING
Yankee Landing, located on the Island’s eastern Promenade overlooking the Buttermilk Channel, is a primary arrival point for pedestrians and bicyclists arriving from Brooklyn and other locations in the Harbor. Park and public space users, tenants and Island visitors may all disembark from ferries and water taxis at Yankee Pier.
Two new structures designed by Rogers Marvel Architects welcome these visitors. The first of these is a ferry shelter which provides a distinctive sense of arrival. This open canopy offers sheltered space for queues and ferry passenger seating which will be particularly appreciated during inclement weather, and is situated so it does not interrupt circulation on the Great Promenade. As boat passengers disembark at Yankee Landing, the Great Promenade widens to a generous mosaic-paved plaza that leads visitors to Liggett Terrace and provides an easy way to traverse the Island from east to west.
At Yankee Landing, visitors can stop by the Cube which provides The Cube provides amenities to visitors at Yankee Landing. information and amenities. Just outside are racks to pick up a free Governors Island Bicycle or to park personal bicycles. The Cube may also serve as a stop on the Island’s internal tram circulation program that will serve both park and building visitors.
The 2,100-square-foot Cube houses visitor information, a concession, a rest area and rest rooms. The cantilevered, open-air structure with overhead display panels, also delivers information projected about programming, boat schedules and other vital information. The open sides accommodate crowds but also provide a place to stop for a small group, making this an ideal meeting spot. In future stages of design, the form and materials of the Cube will be developed and refined in relationship to the character of the surrounding Historic District.
EXISTING THE EXISTING GREAT FERRY YANKEE WATER BUILDING CUBE BUILDING PROMENADE SHELTER PIER TAXI
Yankee Landing section
150 Information, concessions, and services in the Cube.
GOVERNORS ISLAND PARK AND PUBLIC SPACE MASTER PLAN THE WAY IT WORKS 151