Kentile Park

Working with Loci Architecture, we were asked by the Gowanus Alliance to design a new community park under the elevated F & G subway line in the Gowanus neighborhood. The site between 2nd and 3rd Avenue is the former location of the Fran Brady Under The Tracks Playground which was removed when the MTA started its repairs of the overhead viaduct. We met with community representatives and conducted a visioning workshop that identified key elements of the park: passive and active recreation areas, a comfort station, a dog run, and an open area to support a weekend green market. One of the park’s key features is the installation of the iconic KENTILE letters that were removed from a nearby building in 2014. As part of a storm water management strategy throughout the Gowanus watershed, the project includes porous surfaces, rain gardens, and retention tanks to mitigate combined sewer overflow into the canal.

View along 10th Street with rain gardens in the foregound and 'KENTILE' letters in the background

Passive recreational area under the tracks with permeable surfaces

Active recreational area at the west end of the park

View of the park, elevated subway tracks, and the downtown Manhattan skyline beyond