2020 Merit Award
General Design
East 92nd Street Bonus Plaza and Terraces
New York, NY
Landscape Architect:
Starr Whitehouse Landscape Architects and Planners
Project Team:
Handel Architects
Cooley Monato Studio
RAR Construction
The Related Companies

Special Factors & Additional Information:
The 92nd Street plaza introduces a green, social retreat into a high-density Manhattan residential neighborhood. The privately-owned public space (POPS), integrally coordinated with the adjacent mixed-use building, greets the public with a flowing sequence of three spaces: the inviting street entrance with an accessible incline, sculptural stairs, seating steps and benches; a middle social space with fixed and movable tables and chairs; and a fountain oasis at the rear. Within a frame of woodland plantings, an exuberant motif of curves leads people through the space, expressed through a swirling pattern of granite sett pavement, custom concrete benches and planters, and accents of wood and steel. Experienced from the ground and from above, the plaza expresses elegance and playful vitality.
Images by: Starr Whitehouse Landscape Architects and Planners