New York City’s Most Anticipated New Public Space Opens in Brooklyn

Description is provided by the landscape architect. Designed by landscape architecture firm James Corner Field Operations, the lead designers of the High Line, and privately-funded by Brooklyn-based developer Two Trees Management, Domino Park—New York City’s most anticipated new public space—will feature a waterfront esplanade, six acres of parkland, and improved connectivity to the waterfront.

Scheduled to open Summer 2018, Two Trees will deliver the park ahead of any of the waterfront buildings, as promised to the surrounding North Brooklyn community. The quarter-mile waterfront park reflects Two Trees’ emphasis on historic preservation, a guiding component of the overall Domino Sugar Factory redevelopment masterplan.

Featuring a broad range of recreational options for all ages, Domino Park is organized into three distinct programmatic areas, transitioning from more active uses near the Williamsburg Bridge at the southernmost end of the site to more passive uses at the northern end of the site. Reclaimed sugar refining and industrial artifacts are interspersed throughout the site, uncovering the story of sugar trade in New York and the sugar refining process that occurred on the site for over a century.

Artifact Walk

Drawing on the history of the 11-acre industrial site and the landmarked Refinery Building, the five-block-long Artifact Walk at the north end of the site integrates over 30 large-scale, hand-picked pieces of salvaged factory machinery along the waterfront. The Artifact Walk also includes 21 columns from the Raw Sugar Warehouse and approximately 585 linear feet of crane tracks from the site that is incorporated into the design of the park as well as four 36-feet tall cylindrical tanks that collected syrup during the refining process, mooring bollards, bucket elevators, and various dials and meters from the factory with original signage.

Waterfront Esplanade

The 1,200-foot-long waterfront esplanade provides a continuous walk along the East River with panoramic views of the Manhattan skyline and Williamsburg Bridge.

Passive Recreation Park

At the northern end of Domino Park, the passive recreation area from South 2nd Street to Grand Street will include a Japanese Pine garden at the entry which leads to the Artifact Walk, a 80-100 person picnic area, a food kiosk, a kids play space inspired by the sugar refining process, a large sloping lawn and an urban beach with a flat shaded lawn area and chaise lounges.

Central Gathering Space

Flanked by the passive and active recreation areas, Water Square encapsulates five separate gathering spaces for park patrons, including a 4-tiered seating area that affords views of the East River and the Refinery building, and overlooks the Central Water Feature that can be specially programmed in the summer. At the water ’s edge, there is a sunken area with a series of River Viewing Steps. At the edge of Water Square, four salvaged syrup tanks from the Refinery are embedded in the Syrup Tank Garden, paying homage to its neighboring landmark.

Active Recreation Park Amenities

The active recreation area consists of interactive spaces for visitors including a 1,750-square foot linear Dog Run, two Bocce Courts, a 6,300-square foot Flexible Playing Field for various sports, and a Volleyball Court.

Resilience

The park and open space incorporate resilient design approach including raising the platform two to seven feet above the new FEMA flood elevations ensuring that the site will be protected from flooding. The park includes a sustainable plant palette contributing to coastal resilience including a mix of nearly 175 trees on the site for over a century.