WAGNER PARK - SOUTH BATTERY PARK CITY RESILIENCE
BATTERY PARK CITY, NYC
The identity of New York City is tied to Lower Manhattan. The impacts of climate change threaten this district, and with it the past and future of the city. The South Battery Park Resiliency Project along with other Lower Manhattan Resiliency projects are designed to project this dense urban area from future storms and sea level rise, and provide world-class public spaces that are built to last.
The legacy park was a mixture of open lawns and seasonal gardens, and was organized around views of the Statue of Liberty, capitalizing on it’s location at the southern terminus of BPC. The future park will be elevated approximately 10 feet above the former elevation while maintaining and strengthening connections with the landscape of the Museum of Jewish Heritage to the north, the streetscape of Battery Place to the east, and to Pier A Plaza to the south. Preservation of long-term waterfront access and respect for the design legacy of the site inspired the design of Wagner Park. The spatial organization that defines Wagner Park today will be maintained and updated to integrate resilience, sustainability, and universal access.
The design of the Park targets the Waterfront Alliances Waterfront Edge Design Guidelines (WEDG) certification through innovative and integrated landscape architectural and engineering site planning. WEDG is a rating system and set of guidelines to create resilient, ecological and accessible waterfronts. The project enhances the site’s programmatic and ecological diversity through a range of solutions.
Client:
Collaborators:
Battery Park City Authority
Magnusson Klemencic Associates, SiteWorks, Thomas Phifer and Partners, Tillotson Design Associates, Milhouse Engineering, Nautilus International Development Consulting, Atelier Ten, Arch Street Communications.
Status:
Ongoing Construction- Expected Completion Winter 2025