williamsburg neighborhood finally gets access to waterfront with domino park

on june 10th, south williamsburg, new york will officially welcome development firm two tree’s domino park to the neighborhood. stretching a full quarter-mile, the park will offer a number of unique features such as an extension of river street, which at the moment abruptly stops on grand street; effectively walling off the community and residents that live in the area to the east river. the continuation made possible by domino park will now provide a direct access route to the waterfront with views of manhattan’s iconic skyline. furthermore, domino park, designed in partnership with james corner field operations — collaborators on the high line — will provide an abundance of features that focus on utilizing the domino sugar factory’s expansive property.

a glance at the newly developed waterfront park
all images by daniel levin

a 1,200-foot-long waterfront esplanade allows pedestrians to capture panoramic views and a large recreational area. this expanse stretches from 2nd street to grand street, and is graced with a japanese pine garden at the foyer, a sloping lawn, urban beach with a shaded sitting area and a 100-person picnic area. the park contains numerous interactive spaces from a 1,750 sqf linear dog run to a 6,300 sqf playing field for a variety of sports and a full-sized beach volleyball court, equipping the park-starved neighborhood with an opportunity that will vastly change the dynamic of the area. also on site of the park is union square hospitality group’s tacocina, offering tacos, beer and cocktails.

a children’s playground is constructed from materials taken from the domino sugar factory

taking environmental concerns such as flooding into account, two trees and james corner field operations decided to raise the platform of the park from two to seven feet above fema flood elevations. the planting of nearly 175 trees along the waterfront also ensures the protection of the site. the factory’s incredibly rich history can be found throughout the area, using materials such as four 36-foot tall cylindrical tanks that when the factory was active, collected the syrup necessary to refine the sugar. other materials such as mooring bollards, bucket elevators, dials, meters were taken with a five-block long artifact walk.

the slide memorializes the factory

thus, domino park successfully combines the practices of sustainable design and urban development while memorializing the families of north brooklyn, who for generations worked at the factory. according to principal of two trees, jed walentas, domino park aims to be ‘a living, breathing tribute to thousands of domino workers, their families and the rich tapestry of history that defines this new york community.’ 

the landmarked domino sugar factory remains a symbol of the neighborhood

the domino property stretches over 11-acres and the park is just one component to the two trees’ redevelopment master plan, which will include over 2,800 rental apartments across four residential buildings, 700 of which will be affordable to low-income residents. for further information on the development, see designboom’s previous coverage here. 

the four 36-foot tall cylindrical tanks collected syrup needed for the refining process

salvaged machinery can be found throughout the domino park

domino park houses a variety of recreational spaces

now residents in the neighborhood have access to the waterfront with iconic views of manhattan’s skyline

this design plan provides further information of the 3-section organization of domino park