Newark Visitor Center

Location          Newark, New Jersey

Type                  Competition

Size                   13,000 Sq Ft

Date                  2009

Located on the Passaic River, the project is exploring the possible expansion of Riverbank Park, located less than 30 minutes away from midtown Manhattan, and one of the smallest, but most heavily used recreational parks in the area.

Given the park’s designation as a state park and its popularity, we proposed to connect the various sports and recreational facilities, surrounding parklands, and other existing spaces into a 3-mile long park. Not only will the new design relate the separate elements into a comprehensive public space, but the proposal also aims to “rebrand” the area, drawing visitors to a suburb that is otherwise known for its airport.

With the inclusion of a visitor’s center at the waterfront and a prolific LED panel spanning the length of the building, this serves as a visual landmark visible from Newark and capable of displaying different messages, graphics, and visible from a variety of vantage points given its size.

In short, the expansion and renovation of the park have to ability to reinvigorate the area, turning the park from a disparate collection of recreational facilities to a physical and symbolic landmark ultimately bringing more visitors and development.