Landscape Architect Articles

Erie Basin Park, Red Hook, Brooklyn, New York04-05-16 | Feature

Erie Basin Park, Red Hook, Brooklyn, New York
Landscape Architecture by Weintraub Diaz Landscape Architecture, PLLC, Nyack, New York

The custom chaise longues and tables (left) in the Erie Basin Park central plaza are lit with blue marine light fixtures that relate back to a time when these recognizable blue lights dotted the shipyard bulkheads. These blue compact fluorescent vaportight fixtures with polycarbonate globe protective guards are integrated into the tables, providing soft, intimate lighting for park goers sitting on the custom chaises. The lights also reflect off the galvanized steel and onto the surrounding pavement. The paver area (foreground right) offers sofa benches. This area and the spherical bollards that line the path to the water taxi are illuminated with pole top disk shaped luminaires (8101 series) with 150 T6 ceramic metal halide lamps mounted on 12-ft. high polyester powder coated poles. The high-power light is bounced back toward the ground by a 39 3/8" diameter aluminum top reflector. The step risers to the raised platform are lit with recessed fixtures. The honey locusts are illuminated by metal halide in-grade uplights that make the bosque highly visible from the esplanade, and a location marker for the water taxi dock. The kiosk sculpture's upper portion has fixtures connected to the supporting posts. The illuminated cranes are in the background (right).
*Photo: Colin Cook*

Red Hook has been part of Brooklyn since 1636. The Dutch named the peninsula "Roode Hoek" (red point), red for its clay soils and point for the land projecting into Upper New York Bay.

The IKEA that looks out to the Erie Basin waterfront in Red Hook, site of the former Todd Shipyard, is your typical Scandinavian chain selling ready-to-assemble furniture and housewares, but what surrounds it is not. The New York City Planning Commission stipulated that a park surround it.

This mile of green park, esplanade and plaza spaces covering 6.5 acres suitably bears the name Erie Basin Park. The park was paid for and is maintained by IKEA as a quid pro quo for obtaining zoning changes that allowed the building of the store on this former industrial site. Incorporated into the fabric of the park are remains of the site's former occupancy – the New York Ship Yard – reminiscent of a time when this waterfront was a place of commerce and production. Four inactive cranes were stabilized and refurbished, serving as statuesque markers and powerful historical reminders; remains of a dry dock are expressed in planting and in pavement. The park design vocabulary interprets the industrial archeology of the shipyard into a series of linked spaces that use landscape to tell a powerful story.

These custom designed perforated metal chaises longues are complemented by galvanized steel tables and integral blue marine light fixtures. The chaises, lounges, sofa benches, wood timber benches and wave benches are all custom designed by Weintraub Diaz.
*Photos: Colin Cook*

The initial site visit revealed the former New York Shipyard had been allowed to deteriorate. Shipyard, head houses and assembly buildings had long prevented public access to Erie Basin. A majority of the shipyard piers were undermined, bulkheads failing, support buildings and piers abandoned. The pervasive sound was stillness, or as Paul Simon would say, the "sound of silence." But bits and pieces of the shipyard were left behind. Shipyard artifacts"?ugiant cranes, bollards, winches and dry dock gates were salvaged and their function and history explained by interpretive panels and signage. The shipyard's most powerful remains are the freight cranes of different vintages (more on that later). These, along with limited salvage amongst the ruins, provided a window into the former working waterfront.

The design team faced a number of challenges: How to restore an area that had suffered severe deterioration? Collect whatever artifacts could be salvaged, including the cranes, to help connect the new park to its shipyard heritage. And highlight design features with dramatic lighting, being careful not to overpower, yet provide the required illumination to make the park a safe evening destination.

The park has two sculptural kiosks, one central to the park (pictured), which identifies the location of the water taxi landing; the other is further west along the esplanade. The chaotic assembly of metal tubes, different lengths and angles are an artistic representation of a time when the working cranes dominated the waterfront. Illuminating the structures are three small decorative adjustable accent/flood "LumAdjust' fixtures attached to the framework and lit by T4 39-watt ceramic metal halide lamps that flood the upper portion of the kiosks with white light. The beam spread is from 30???(R)???AE? to 49???(R)???AE? with a single lamp. An adjustable center swivel stem provides 200???(R)???AE? tilt and 360???(R)???AE? rotation. The aim is locked in by stainless steel mechanisms.
*Photo: Colin Cook*

The park is entered through a steel lattice pergola and a planted birch bosque with a framed view of Erie Basin and the shipyard cranes ahead. From the pergola entry the park path spools through broad lawns for picnicking and getting visitors as close to the Basin as possible. The park berms help screen the IKEA store and adjacent parking lot.

The esplanade rail incorporates interpretive signage that explains the views, refurbished shipyard equipment and displayed artifacts providing visitors a historic glimpse back to this working Brooklyn waterfront.

The "Blue Light Bridge" is a shortcut from the esplanade over the water and out to Pier 4, the longest of the refurbished piers. The guardrail panels are set at slightly different angles with water jet cut slots that represent the crisscrossing of the various lines, masts and crane angles that were a feature of the ship yard's historic past. The design is the result of full-size foam core mockups in the office. Mounted under the handrail and out of sight are blue LED "Tetra' strips angled towards the guardrail panels. The 6 LED modules per foot reflect off the panels at different angles to the bridge deck and illuminate the bridge panel slots when viewed from the esplanade. One of the most dramatic elements of the park are the four large steel framed freight cranes that have been refurbished and moved along their original rails into position on the piers. Each crane is lit with six 12-ft. tall light poles, with two FLC264 fixtures on each pole with internal dichroic color filters (violet, indigo and white lights) and 1,000-watt Sylvania "Osram' metal halide lamps. Four of the poles are located outside the crane directed up toward the crane's supporting structure. Two of the poles are located beneath the cranes to light the interior of the structure. Glare shields direct focused light to the desired locations on the cranes.
*Night photo: Colin Cook / Day photo: WDLA*

Lighting
The paths are illuminated with 8101 pole top luminaires with 150 T6 ceramic metal halide lamps mounted on 12-ft. high polyester powder coated poles. The high-power light is bounced back toward the ground by a 39 3/8" diameter aluminum top reflector to provide a soft and even illumination below. The combination of the pole height and the reflected light create a sense of vertical definition that focuses a visitor's attention on the park and harbor.

As the path weaves along the water's edge, areas are created for different seating options. There are benches, custom chaise longues, custom sofa benches, wood timber benches and wave benches. Some are located along the path, some on the piers and others are in alcoves off the path. The reflected light from the Bega 8101 highlight the different seating areas with a soft, nonglare glow that invites visitors to enjoy the evening along the waterfront.

The IKEA looks out to the Erie Basin waterfront in Red Hook, site of the former Todd Shipyard. This is not your typical site for the Swedish retailer of ready-to-assemble furniture and housewares. The New York City Planning Commission approved the location contingent on a waterfront park being built on site to border and buffer the facility.

One of the most dramatic elements of the park are the four large freight cranes that have been refurbished and strategically moved along their original rails into position on the piers. The massive supporting structure and operator's cabin are an impressive sight during the day and dramatically illuminated at night. Each crane is lit with six 12-ft. tall high light poles with two FLC264 fixtures on each pole with internal dichroic color filters, and 1,000-watt Sylvania "Osram' metal halide lamps. Four of the poles are located outside the crane directed up toward the crane's supporting structure. Two of the poles are located beneath the cranes to light the interior of the structure. Glare shields direct focused light to the exact desired locations on the cranes. The industrial character of the poles, brackets and light fixtures blend in seamlessly with the steel frame structure of the cranes during the day and at night, bathe the cranes in a combination of violet, indigo, and white lights.

A striking feature of the park at night is the "Blue Light Bridge," a shortcut from the esplanade over the water and out to Pier 4, the longest of the refurbished piers. The guardrail panels are set at slightly different angles with water jet cut slots that represent the crisscrossing of the various lines, masts and crane angles that were a feature of the ship yard's historic past. The design of the panels was the result of life-size foam core mockups in the office to capture the effects of the proposed bridge guardrail and lighting. Mounted out of sight under the handrail are blue LED "Tetra' strips angled towards the guardrail panels. The 6 LED modules per foot reflect off the panels at different angles to create an interesting effect on the bridge deck as well as illuminating the bridge panel slots when viewed from the esplanade.

Erie Basin is just south of the lower tip of Manhattan and Governors Island on Brooklyn's waterfront. This maritime center houses the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. Tugboats, barges and water taxis ply these sheltered harbor waters. Erie Basin used to be the destination for most of the grains and cereals delivered from the Midwestern via the Erie Canal. The Red Hook neighborhood of Erie Basin has been part of Brooklyn since 1636.

Erie Basin Park can be reached from lower Manhattan via water taxi. The water taxis arrive at an area of the plaza marked by a shaded bosque of honey locust, and moveable seating on the raised platform, providing visitors the option of arranging their own seating and views. In the evening, the steps up to the platform have fully recessed white LED fixtures installed in the risers. The honey locusts are illuminated by metal halide in-grade uplights that make the bosque very visible from the esplanade, and is a marker for the location of the water taxi dock. The custom chaise lounges and tables with integrated blue marine light fixtures relate back to a time when these recognizable blue lights dotted the bulkheads. The blue compact fluorescent vaportight fixtures with polycarbonate globe protective guards are integrated into the tables providing soft, intimate lighting for park goers sitting on the custom chaises. The lights provide a gentle blue glow that reflects off the galvanized steel and onto the surrounding pavement that blends perfectly with the evening.

The park has two sculptural kiosk focal points: one is central to the park and identifies the location of the water taxi landing; the other is further west along the esplanade in line with Dwight Street.

The chaotic assembly of metal tubes, different lengths and angles, provide an artistic representation of a time when the working cranes dominated the waterfront landscape. The juxtaposition of these sculptures and refurbished cranes provides an interesting perspective. Illuminating the structures are three small decorative adjustable accent/flood "LumAdjust' luminaires with T4 39-watt ceramic metal halide lamps, which flood the upper portion of the kiosks with a white light that creates a striking contrast against the night sky. With similar lighting at the entry pergola from Columbia Street and sculptural kiosk aligned with Dwight Street, these structures are beacons guiding visitors from these entries, along the esplanade and towards the central plaza of the park.

Erie Basin Park has become a popular waterfront park for the surrounding Brooklyn neighborhood as well as visitors from lower Manhattan arriving by water taxi. The creative use of lighting and its various effects complement the design making it an attractive destination both in the day and in the evening.

As seen in LASN magazine, April 2016.