This 7-acre park near the tip of the East River’s Roosevelt Island incorporates 2 historic structures: the Smallpox Hospital, still a disintegrating ruin, and Strecker Lab, restored and in use by NYC Transit. The entire area had become the repository for construction debris, excavated fill, household waste, and general rubble; its only plants were invasive weeds brought in by the wind and birds.
In 2007, WRT was selected to build on a concept plan developed under the auspices of the Trust for Public Land. The resulting design by the WRT team -- which included civil and structural engineers, preservation architects and conservators -- celebrates the wild nature of the site and reuses many site-found artifacts.
Island-quarried stone from City Hospital (a third historic structure, demolished in 1994) was used to build low retaining walls that hold the clean fill cap necessitated by the discovery of soil contamination. City Hospital’s cast iron columns punctuate the park’s entrances and its cast stone ornamental pieces are seeded throughout the gardens.
The entire park was graded to handle all stormwater on-site through the use of infiltration gardens. Only native New York species were planted throughout. Existing trees were preserved to provide shade and structure until newly planted trees grow to take their place.
Project Team
Clients: The Trust for Public Land and the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation
Landscape Architecture/Team Lead: WRT (Judith Heintz, Principal in Charge, Diana Drake, Project Manager, Napat Sitisara)
Engineering (Civil and Structural): Weidlinger Associates
MEP Engineer: Wesler-Cohen Associates
Architectural Preservation/Conservation: John Milner Associates
Economic Development & Analysis: The CLUE Group
Structural & Coastal Engineers for Waterfront: Ocean and Coastal Consultants
Architectural Preservation: Mary B. Dierckx
Architecture*: Weisz + Yoes (now WXY Studio)
Site & Environmental Lighting*: Leni Schwendinger Light Projects
*precluded by construction budget
Photos by Napat Sitisara, dl drake