Abutting the busy Union Street Bridge, Sackett Place brings gathering, play, and restored ecology to the Gowanus Canal, expanding the network of public esplanades envisioned in the Gowanus Lowlands Master Plan. The waterfront park is composed as a series of active urban rooms: a picnic grove provides space for communal dining, a sculptural playscape interprets the history of oysters along the Gowanus canal, and a central get-down brings the urban energy of Sackett Street to the waterfront. The landscape prioritizes hardy, salt-tolerant native plant species that can withstand flooding while providing lush textures in all four seasons. Interpretive signage and sculptural elements ground the site in its postindustrial context, connecting residents to the history and future of the neighborhood. Drawing inspiration from the site’s past, benches made with reclaimed wood line the esplanade, and a guardrail with a zig-zag pattern references the neighborhood’s industrial character.
As the Gowanus Canal undergoes a federally designated Superfund cleanup, esplanades like Sackett Place are a critical step in bringing the Gowanus Canal to life.
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Client
- Property Markets Group
Collaborators
SLCE
Langan
DeSimone
MG Engineering
Urban Atelier
