LA CLUB IN THE CITY
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| Poster advertising the event |
On April 13th several club members joined together to take a tour of several parks in New York City and gain some perspective on public space in such an urban environment. Taking a break from our studio work, it was nice to get out, stretch our legs, and experience spaces that we may design one day!
We started our trip with a pleasant train ride in from New Brunswick where we shared stories and enjoyed the convenience of public transportation.
Of course there were many "selfies" taken, and even these have some beauty in them. This "selfie" within a picture really shows how the towering buildings almost add to the canopy created by the trees framing the space of Bryant Park.
At the entrance to the park, we stopped to take a group photo with the fountain.
Also at the entrance to the park were two larger-than life horse head statues that were made of metal. These are replicas of much larger sculptures called The Kelpies located in Scotland. The sculptures had a wonderful dappling effect because of the way the small pieces of metal connected, giving them both a heaviness and a sense of light. 
After leaving the park we came along this interesting water feature made of rusted metal of varying heights. We were intrigued by the way the water dripped from one layer to the next.
We also stopped in the Bank of America Building, where there is a large living wall feature, the "Urban Garden Room" designed by WRT landscape architects and Margie Ruddick.
Our next destination was Paley Park, which was designed by the landscape architecture firm Zion and Breen Associates and opened in 1967, has remained a successful pocket park. The site, which is very small, is closed on three sides and city noise is dulled by the water fall at the back of the park.
This is a view from the entrance of the park, showing its limited size, but profound spacial qualities.
We quickly found out that the water fall made a FABULOUS place to take pictures!
On our walk, we explored scale- how small we are to the constructed world around us...
And how different texture, tones, and patterns interact to create our environment. The pedestrian environment in New York City is always changing as the materials, sounds, and people transform each moment.
Finally, we arrived at central park and quickly found one of the many large rocks in the park to take a group photo.
Some of us had never been to Central Park, but all of us were enamored with how many people were enjoying Frederick Law Olmstead's work. Through all of this time, millions of New Yorkers and tourists alike flock to central park to enjoy this open space.
Who can resist a good selfie?
While exploring the park, we happened upon Belvedere Castle and we took the opportunity to climb to the top to gain some perspective on the park- also to say that we climbed a castle! Belvedere, which translates to "beautiful view" in Italian, really lived up to its promise. The view from the terraces were spectacular. This is the highest point in Central Park and gives viewsheds of both the Great Lawn and the Rambles.
This architecture, built in 1869 by Calvert Vaux, was such a contrast from the city behind it, its easy to see how its charm and allure can draw such a crowd! From the terraces, you can see the great lawn and the people enjoying this "un-programmed space."
We certainly had a lot of fun together exploring these public parks. It was a nice reminder that the need for landscape architecture and designed space is important and its successes and uses are prevalent in our world today!
This trip definitely made me realize how much of our world we can shape, and how our environments shape us in return.
Sincerely,
Elle Gallagher
Junior
Sources:
http://www.centralparknyc.org/things-to-see-and-do/attractions/belvedere-castle.html
http://margieruddick.com/work/urban/urban-garden-room/
https://tclf.org/landscapes/paley-park
http://www.thekelpies.co.uk/
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