Ferry Point Park Public Restroom altFerry Point Park Public Restroom altFerry Point Park Public Restroom altFerry Point Park Public Restroom altFerry Point Park Public Restroom altFerry Point Park Public Restroom altFerry Point Park Public Restroom altFerry Point Park Public Restroom alt

Occupancy

May 2018

Location

Bronx, NY

Client

NYC Dept. of Parks & Recreation

At the edge of an active 9.5-acre park on prime waterfront, Ferry Point Park offers unparalleled views of the East River, Long Island Sound, and the Manhattan skyline. The new 800 sf public restroom acts as a front porch facing both the waterfront views and overlooking fields for soccer and football, a children’s play area and pedestrian trails. The building is raised to accommodate the site’s location within a floodplain. The broad stairs invite sitting and picnicking, and the large curved roof frames a space that suggests a stage, welcoming park visitors to make the space their own.

The comfort station was designed as part of a NYC Parks Department Requirements Contract, among several small service structures in city parks throughout the five boroughs. Issues of durability/minimal maintenance, public safety, cost consciousness and energy efficiency were strong design determinants. The design uses utilitarian materials – standing seam and corrugated metal for their easy maintenance and low cost, but in a way that elevates them to reflect civic importance. The white building reflects the sky and serves as a background for seasonally changing plantings.

Photos by Pavel Bendov

Awards

Society of American Registered Architects New York Council (SARA | NY), Award of Merit, 2019

Architecture MasterPrize, Honorable Mention - Small Architecture, 2018

Thornton Tomasetti (formerly Weidlinger Associates) – structural; Michael Wein, P.E. – civil; Richard S. Kessler, P.E. – geotech; Quennell Rothschild & Partners, LLP –  landscape architect; Callahan Consulting – expeditor; M.T. Peters – cost estimator