River Avenue Park
Project Details
Location: River Avenue Park, Bronx, New York, US
Application: Municipal Park
Year of Installation: 2010
Main Features:
- Zero-depth aquatic play pad
- Ground sprays
- Sensors & lights
Formerly a parking lot for Yankee Stadium, River Avenue Park is an aquatic play pad that features a sequence of ground sprays and lights that are activated as trains pass by, offering a one-of-a-kind sensory experience for children and providing a spectacular water display for commuters.
The play pad is dotted with small flush-mounted, in-ground lights and ground sprays. These lights and sprays are activated in tandem by sensors monitoring the elevated tracks for the passing train. As the train passes overhead, the lights and sprays zipper on and off along the path, enticing children into a serendipitous game of chase from the top to the bottom of the site where more lights and sprays dance off and on in an unanticipated sequence.
The play pad also includes ground sprays that randomly change pattern when a child stands on an open valve, which again puts waterplayers into fast action to catch the next elusive spray. Other site features include a tire swing and bells, which chime as kids travel the ramped path, or collectively sound a tune, supporting physical and social play.