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Pull up a Seat or Two or More10-10-16 | News
Pull up a Seat or Two or More
International Design Competition Delivers Moveable Park Seating


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The Battery Conservancy of New York City held its grand opening of the new two-acre Battery Oval in Battery Park on the June 25-26 weekend, at which time it also premiered the park's new mobile seating and a 100-vendor marketplace. The new seating,replica watches selected in an extensive design competition, is the design of Andrew Jones, and manufactured as the "Battery Collection" from Maglin Site Furniture.
Photo: The Battery Conservancy


Battery Park, at the southern tip of Manhattan where the Hudson and East Rivers converge, is one of the most visited parks in NYC. The "Battery" name derived from cannon emplacements, first by the 17th century Dutch, then as a fort with cannons in the lead up to the 1812 war with Britain. In 1817 the fort was renamed Castle Clinton in honor of Dewitt Clinton, mayor of NYC and later governor of New York. The fort transitioned into an entertainment center, Castle Garden, from 1823 to 1854, then became the city's immigration processing center (1855-1890), before ceding that role to Ellis Island.

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The Battery Conservancy was created in 1994 to rebuild and revitalize The Battery, the 25-acre public park and Castle Clinton National Monument. NYC owns and maintains the park; NPS owns and maintains Castle Clinton. The Conservancy and its partners have raised $126 million in public and private funds to design, build, maintain and program this historical site.

On June 25, 2016, Warrie Price, president and founder of the Battery Conservancy, introduced the park's new two-acre oval-shaped lawn and new movable seating for 300, plus a 100-vendor marketplace for the occasion. That seating is not "off the rack." The Conservancy held a design competition that fielded 679 entries from 15 countries. The winning "Battery chair' was from Toronto designer Andrew Jones. The chair has been described as playful yet refined, comfortable yet elegant.

"There are so many uncomfortable chairs in public seating; you never find a super-comfortable chair to just hang out in in a public park," explained Jones. "That comfort was high on my list."

"This award-winning design helps us build the brand for The Battery, and of course we have Maglin as the manufacturer, known for extraordinarily well-designed and well-constructed furnishings," said Price.

The high-profile chair jury included Paola Antonelli, senior curator of architecture and design at the Museum of Modern Art, and Rob Forbes, the founder of Design Within Reach.

The Batter Collection includes not only the lounge-style chair used in The Battery, but also dining and lounge tables, all available in a variety of colors and made of recyclable mild steel and stainless steel.







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