Brooklyn Bridge Park is located on the East River in Brooklyn and covers an area of approximately 340,000 m2. Previously, this place was a port zone, and the park inherited several piers from it. Some of which have already been landscaped and open to the public, while others are still under reconstruction. And since it is from them that almost the best view of the famous bridge opens, the park pays special attention to the design of viewing platforms on the piers, making them the topic of separate international competitions. One of these competitions was won by the Danish workshop BIG, having received the right to build an observation deck on pier N 6.
When designing public spaces, Bjarke Ingels' team always strives for maximum versatility, and the work on the Brooklyn Observation Deck was no exception. Reflecting on what could make this place necessary for the city at any time of the day and in any weather, the architects came to the conclusion that it should provide the townspeople with protection from precipitation and the sun, as well as provide an opportunity not only for walks, but also for mass activities.
This is how the idea of a 2-level space was born: BIG seems to stratify the end of the pier, smoothly lifting the top layer and turning it into an open triangular terrace with wide steps that can simultaneously serve as benches. As the architects themselves admit, they borrowed its smoothly curved shape from the manta ray, one of the largest inhabitants of the ocean. They also jokingly compare the triangular platform, with its pointed nose facing the water surface, to the upper deck of the Titanic, predicting an influx of fans of romantic photo sessions in the style of Kate and Leo.
In good weather, the platform, raised by means of thin steel supports over the surface of the pier by 5.3 m, can serve as an open-air amphitheater. And under the triangular "nose", the contours of which the architects emphasize with the help of bright illumination, there will be a well-equipped chamber space, equally cozy both on a hot and on a rainy day.
