Morningside Park 116th St Playground

Designed for NYC Parks Department.

Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux were the original designers of this long, linear park at the base of a cliff in western Harlem.  The playground occupies rising land in the middle of the park, making it both significant and challenging to design.

We worked closely with the community and city leaders to create this design, which utilizes historic materials and plant selections in a contemporary layout.  The playground includes a waterfall and spray shower, lots of custom play equipment, and amenities for children and parents.

Morningside Park prior to our project.  It was pretty drab.

• Location: Harlem, NY
• Status: Completed 2008
• Budget: $2.0m