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When visitors visit Lincoln Center, they often raise their selfie sticks at Josey Robertson Plaza, home to the iconic Revson Fountain by Max Abramowitz, Wallace K. Harrison, and Philip Johnson among medieval buildings. Newcomers rarely venture to Lincoln Center’s Amsterdam Avenue side, where an imposing fortress-like wall ominously separates the complex from its neighborhood.
To better integrate Robert Moses’ urban renewal-era Lincoln Square development plan with its surroundings, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (LCPA) officials are working with designers to reimagine the campus between 62nd and 65th Streets in Amsterdam Avenue side. Landscape design firm Hood Design Studio will collaborate with design architect Weiss/Manfredi on the urban design project. Moody Nolan will be the architect of record.
Most of the work will take place in Damroschpark, home of the Guggenheim Band. (Today, Damrosch Park is under the jurisdiction of the New York City Parks Department, but is operated and maintained by the LCPA.) There, designers will undertake a major revitalization that will provide New Yorkers with more open space and provide state-of-the-art— Art performance area for international artists.
To drive the design, the LPCA gathered feedback from thousands of neighbors, community members, citywide stakeholders and nearby high school students to create a comprehensive report summarizing what the public would like to see at the site. NADAAA and the nonprofit Hester Street facilitated the community engagement process. The report is publicly available and can be accessed here .
“In redesigning Damrosch Park, we saw a critical opportunity to reshape Lincoln Center’s relationship with the city,” said Walter Hood, creative director and founder of Hood Design Studio. “By working closely with Lincoln Center and its neighbors, our goal is to create a landscape that pays homage to the legacy of San Juan Hill while allowing the community to reimagine and repurpose the space in new and meaningful ways.”
The LPCA notes that the urban design project is intended to help build trust with local residents, namely NYCHA residents who live across the street from Lincoln Center in Amsterdam Houses.
Lincoln Center has a rich history. Before Marc Chagall’s murals hung from the ceiling and Leonard Bernstein waved his baton from the podium, a thriving black and Latino community called the site of the cultural complex San Juan Hill (San Juan Hill). Robert Moses’ Lincoln Square development plan has cumulatively displaced more than 7,000 families and 800 businesses to make way for cultural venues.
After Moses brought the wrecking ball to San Juan Hill, his urban renewal program built a fortress-like wall on Amsterdam Avenue, barring residents of Amsterdam House from Damroche Park. Meanwhile, a grand plaza opened east of Lincoln Center, home to the iconic Revson Fountain.
To right these wrongs, Hood Design Studio, Weiss/Manfredi and Moody Nolan will work with local historians to help reintroduce the memory of San Juan Mountain into the public realm. Now, designers are working with members of the Digital Center San Juan Mountain Heritage to make that happen.
“The walls along Amsterdam Avenue have long been a barrier to our community, but Lincoln Center’s participatory planning process has been transparent, accessible, and open to all, especially those who have historically not engaged in such participation. of Amsterdam House residents,” said Yvette Powell, chairperson of the Amsterdam Housing Association Tenants Association. “As we continue to engage in this process, we are excited to create a shared future and a new generation of Lincoln Center artists and audiences.”
Moody-Nolan CEO Jonathan Moody added: “As the largest African-American-owned architectural firm in the United States, we are deeply committed to community-driven design and engagement and are honored to partner with Lincoln Center on this transformative project. Collaboration. By leveraging collective insights and embracing the diverse perspectives of the surrounding community, our goal is to reimagine the Amsterdam Avenue side of campus to ensure that it not only reflects the energy of the city, but becomes a space that is welcoming and resonant for all .An ethos of inclusivity and accessibility defines our practices and values.”
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