Civic Council Sponsors Design Contest for Entrance Gateways at Third Street
At the intersection of Third Street and Prospect Park West sits one of the more modest-looking entrances into Prospect Park. Sure, two statues of oversized panthers stand high atop pedestals at either side of the entrance, but even more visible are the sad twin barricades and a large, unfriendly DO NOT ENTER sign in front. The Park Slope Civic Council now hopes to change the look of this valued entryway and help bring a significant new architectural work into the park.
The Civic Council is sponsoring a design competition to create an attractive, contemporary, welcoming, symbolic entry gate for Prospect Park that could replace the existing movable barriers at this spot. The design must also address the needs of pedestrian and bicycle access, restrictions on cars in the park, and emergency/Parks Department requirements.
Anyone interested in the contest can submit designs now through Oct. 25, and winners will be announced on Nov. 15. Entry fee is just $20 for Civic Council members, $35 for nonmembers. The winner will earn a $2,000 prize, while two runners-up will each get $500.
“People have been complaining about the decrepit look of the barricades, especially now that they seem to be permanently at the Third Street entrance,” says Gilly Youner, second vice president of the Civic Council and organizer of the design challenge. In addition to improving the aesthetics of the entrance, “we’ve set up this competition to get people in Park Slope and surrounding areas involved with the Civic Council’s work, especially in something creative for both newcomers and long-time residents.
“It’s also something we can do to help Prospect Park, now that their resources are stretched so thin,” she adds.
The Third Street entrance plays a key role in the daily life of Prospect Park, particularly for people in the Central Slope. Many prized attractions are just a short stroll or jog away, including the Third Street Playground, the Long Meadow, Litchfield Villa, and the Picnic House. Bicyclists using the new Prospect Park West bike lane use this entry often to begin their rides around the park’s drives. This entrance is busy from dawn to dusk.
Most vehicles, however, cannot enter the park at Third Street, as the city’s Department of Transportation has closed the entrance to all car traffic even during rush hours. (All car traffic in the evening rush must enter at Grand Army Plaza and exit at Park Circle.) Only emergency services and the Parks Department can gain access at Third Street. Hence the need for the current movable — if unattractive — barriers and imposing traffic signage.
The design challenge asks that submissions meet the needs of these various users. Also, any gateway design must use durable materials, and be safe and sturdy enough to withstand high winds and other significant weather. The new gateway should be economical to construct (less than $2,000 for each unit) and made of nonpolluting, preferably recyclable or reclaimable materials.
The contest, Youner notes, is open to all ages and disciplines. “I would encourage anyone to enter — students; teams; artists, architects, and professionals from all fields; and people in the neighborhood who want to think creatively.
“This is more about the end result and not the presentation,” she adds, “so if you’re not an artist, you can still put together a good design without any sort of fancy rendering.”
The panel of judges for this design competition is an impressive one, drawing from the fields of architecture and landscape design, Civic Council trustees, and Parks Department staff. They are:
- Sally Gil, an artist in Park Slope.
- Laurie Hawkinson, partner, RA, Hawkinson Smith-Miller Architects).
- Marc Littlejohn, product designer.
- Aaron Naparstek, of Streetsblog, Park Slope Neighbors, and Grand Army Plaza Coalition.
- Nancy Owens, ASLA, LEED AP, and principal, Nancy Owens Studio LLC.
- Josephine Pittari, senior vice president of operations for Prospect Park.
- Rob Witherwax, coordinator, Grand Army Plaza Coalition.
- Gilly Youner, RA and Civic Council second vice president.
- Christian Zimmerman, vice president of design and construction for Prospect Park
“We would hope enough people enter the competition so that we can fund construction of a prototype,” Youner says, “or with enough interest the Civic Council might be able to get a grant to build the design and test it.” If the Parks Department likes the model, “perhaps it could be used as a prototype for barriers around the park.”
— Written and photo by David Herman
from the September 2010 Civic News
[Final results of this contest are available here.]