| Domino Park | |
|---|---|
.jpg) A view within the park of theDomino Sugar Refinery and the reclaimed syrup collection tanks | |
 Interactive map of Domino Park | |
| Type | Private-public |
| Location | Williamsburg, Brooklyn,New York City |
| Coordinates | 40°42′54″N73°58′4″W / 40.71500°N 73.96778°W /40.71500; -73.96778 |
| Area | 5 acres (2.0 ha) |
| Opened | June 10, 2018 |
| Designer | James Corner Field Operations |
| Operated by | Two Trees Management |
Domino Park is a 5-acre (2.0 ha) publicpark in theWilliamsburg neighborhood ofBrooklyn,New York City. It spans a quarter mile along theEast River near theWilliamsburg Bridge, at theDomino Sugar Refinery site.[1] Along the five-block riverside walk, various salvaged factory equipment is displayed, including foursyrup collection tanks, that pay tribute to the history of the Domino Sugar Refinery.[2]
James Corner Field Operations, which also designed theHigh Line, took six years to design Domino Park.[3] Opened to the public in 2018, it is owned and operated byTwo Trees Management,[4] which spent roughly $50 million to construct it.[5]
The park features a children'splayground,dog run,volleyball court,bocce court, and a playing field.[4] The volleyball court is partially meant to pay homage to the historical Latino population of Williamsburg, with whom the sport is popular. In a move to shift the burden of upkeep to the private sector, a small restaurant was also planned for the park.[1]
An elevated walkway extends much of the length of the park, resembling the interior of the old refinery. Thecrane tracks that were used in the original refinery now houses gardens with roughly a hundred different species of plants. All wooden structures and chairs in the park were built using reclaimed wood from the refinery. At the southern end of the park are water jets making an illuminateddancing fountain display, shooting eight feet (2.4 m) into the air.[5]
The playground was designed by artistMark Reigelman. Named Sweetwater Playground,[6] it is designed to resemble thesugar refining process. Reigelman wrote, "The idea is that a child enters as rawsugar cane and exits at the last portion of the playground asmolasses, orsugar cubes." It is also partially built using reclaimed materials from the old refinery.[2]
Hurricane Sandy struck New York while the park was under construction in 2012. To safeguard against future storms, the park is located on an elevation well above theFederal Emergency Management Agency's flood elevation guidelines.[4]
The park opened on June 10, 2018.[1][7]
As of 2020[update] the park had seen over 2 million visitors. The park was one of eight spaces nominated for that year's Urban Space Award hosted by theUrban Land Institute.[8] In 2020, during theCOVID-19 pandemic in New York City, Domino Park expanded a composting program after the city's own composting initiative was downsized due to the pandemic.[9][10] "Social distancing" circles were also drawn on the park's green to encourage people to stay at least 6 feet (1.8 m) from each other, to control transmission ofSARS-CoV-2.[11][12]
