Raised Walkways and Looping Rivers Triumph in Park Avenue Design Competition

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The development company Fisher Brothers' "Beyond the Centerline" competition was launched in October 2017 as an open call to "enliven and activate the medians for a new generation of New Yorkers." The competition addresses the Park Avenue commercial district, which sits between 46th and 57th Streets.

Out of nearly 150 submissions, an eight-person jury narrowed the field down to 17 finalists, details of which can be found here. Two designs have since been selected as winners, with "Park Park" by Maison winning the jury selection, and "Park River" by Local Architects winning the popular vote.

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The jury-vote-winning "Park Park" transforms Park Avenue via a series of elevated platforms, with incorporated venue spaces "intended to attract New Yorkers and visitors to the centerline in different experiential ways." The spaces include: The Stage, a performance space to host concerts and shows; The Gallery, a triplet of glass cubes serving as a rotating art gallery and showroom; The Gardens, a seasonally-curated pathway providing a lush respite in the city; and The Court, an elevated basketball court paying homage to New York City’s rich basketball culture.

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"Park River," awarded second prize as winner of the popular vote, redraws the roadway and creates a looping river that runs between 46th and 57th Street, bordering the Park Avenue district. The new river promotes activities such as kayaking in warmer months and ice-skating in colder months, in addition to an expanse of plazas that "offer destinations for boating, dining, and lounging."

Both designs promote a new sense of engagement for people experiencing Park Avenue which, according to Fisher Brothers Partner Winston Fisher, meets the overall mission of the competition "as just the beginning of the conversation about the future of Park Avenue."

News via: Fisher Brothers

Elevated Walkways, Aquariums and Mini-Golf Courses Among 17 Finalists in Competition to Transform New York's Park Avenue

Seventeen entries have been selected as finalists in the "Beyond the Centerline" competition, which is seeking ideas for how to "re-envision and enliven the traditional traffic medians of the Park Avenue commercial district between 46th and 57th Streets."