The Battery

Starr Whitehouse’s work at The Battery is transforming a non-descript lot at the foot of New York City into a world-class urban park. In twenty years of Laura Starr and Jeffrey Poor’s involvement, the park’s program and design have evolved organically, building a new community of users in a neighborhood that is becoming more and more residential. From solitary paths through seaside gardens, to open-air kiosks and eating areas, to a state-of-the-art playground that promotes ecological awareness in children, to the new perimeter bikeway connecting the east and west sides of Manhattan, each phase has expanded the park’s functionality, ecology, and constituency. Today, the reconstructed Battery is a beloved urban space that draws millions of visitors annually—inviting tourists, office workers, and new residents to experience the natural abundance that made this small island at the mouth of the Hudson the gateway to the country beyond.