New York City-based practice MNLA (formerly Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects) has shared fresh new photos of its Waterline Square Park. Flanked by a trio of glassy residential high-rises designed by the likes of Richard Meier & Partners, Kohn Pedersen Fox, and Rafael Viñoly Architects, the privately-developed, open-to-the-public 2.6-acre green space is located—along with the larger GID Development Group-led, luxury-oriented Waterline Square enclave—in a rather tricky to define section of Manhattan that straddles the Upper West Side and the upper reaches of Midtown West.
Rising from an area that many New Yorkers would describe as being on the fringes of Lincoln Square, Waterline Square is bounded by 59th and 61st Streets to the south and north, 12th Avenue and Riverside Boulevard to the west, and Freedom Place South—a short street running directly behind the Riverside South development and it’s hulking, (formerly) Trump-branded condo complexes—to the east. Although MNLA’s park is situated in the heart of Waterline Square, it remains easily accessible from almost all major streets abutting the development.
Lushly planted and markedly arboreal in nature, the walking path-laced uptown oasis includes 200 different trees spanning 20 different species, a major of them being native to New York. As described in a press release, the Hudson River-facing western end of the park is populated chiefly by conifers and evergreens to help block wind and pollution from Riverside Boulevard while also “aesthetically framing” views of the Hudson. In addition to the veritable small urban forest, other landscapes at the new park include a biodiversity-boosting perennial garden and an expansive public lawn that served as the backdrop for a slew of socially-distanced public events over the summer. (The park officially opened just in the nick of time.)
Other prominent features of Waterline Square Park include a large children’s playground and a number of water features including an interactive fountain at the eastern portal to the park facing Freedom Place South.
Separate from the park is the Waterline Club, an amenity-stuffed fitness and leisure hub for development residents designed by Rockwell Group. Featuring an indoor skate park, tennis courts, recording studio, lap pool, and more, the 100,000-square-foot space was completed last month.
