domino sugar factory's waterfront park nears completion as opening date announced

new renderings of ‘domino park’ — the quarter-mile waterfront park designed by james corner field operations — have been released, coinciding with the announcement of the project’s opening date. the masterplan, which features new york’s domino sugar factory at its center, will eventually form an 11-acre, mixed-use community just north of the williamsburg bridge in brooklyn. the neighborhood, which will contain a mix of residential and office buildings, has been masterplanned by SHoP architects — the firm who also designed the site’s first residential building, 325 kent.

the masterplan features the domino sugar factory at its center

designed by landscape architecture firm james corner field operations, and privately-funded by brooklyn-based developer two trees management, domino park will feature a riverside esplanade, six acres of parkland, and improved connectivity to the waterfront. the park will open in june 2018, before the remainder of the site’s buildings, providing much needed outdoor space for the surrounding north brooklyn community.

the linear park is organized into distinct programmatic areas

the linear park is organized into three distinct programmatic areas, transitioning from more active uses near the williamsburg bridge to the south, to more passive uses at the northern end of the site. a 1,200-foot-long waterfront esplanade provides a continuous walkway along the east river with panoramic views of the manhattan skyline and williamsburg bridge.

the northern end of the park will include a japanese pine garden and a picnic area

the five-block long ‘artifact walk’ integrates more than 30 large-scale, hand-picked pieces of salvaged factory machinery. here, reclaimed sugar refining and industrial objects allow visitors to uncover the story of new york’s sugar trade. the route includes 21 columns from the raw sugar warehouse, and approximately 585 linear feet of crane tracks. four 36-feet tall cylindrical tanks that collected syrup during the refining process are also included, as well as mooring bollards, bucket elevators, and various dials and meters from the factory with original signage.

a volleyball court also forms part of the plan

the northern end of the park will include a japanese pine garden, a 80-100 person picnic area, a food kiosk, a children’s playground inspired by the sugar refining process, a large sloping lawn, and an urban beach with a flat shaded lawn area. meanwhile, at the southern end of the site, an active recreation area consists of interactive spaces for visitors, including a 1,750-square foot linear dog run, two bocce courts, a 6,300-square foot flexible playing field for various sports, and a volleyball court.

tacos and margaritas will be available on site

flanked by these passive and active recreation areas, ‘water square’ encapsulates separate gathering spaces. a 4-tiered seating area offers views of the east river and the refinery building, while a sunken setting at the water’s edge includes a series of river viewing steps. in addition, four salvaged syrup tanks from the refinery pay homage to the neighboring landmark. the entire park is elevated on a platform raised two to seven feet above the new FEMA flood elevations, ensuring that the site will be protected from flooding. see designboom’s previous coverage of the project here, and stay tuned as the park opens to the public this summer.

at the center of the park, ‘water square’ encapsulates separate gathering spaces

the domino sugar refinery dates from 1882
image © designboom

a children’s play area is inspired by the sugar refining process
image © designboom

the mixed-use community is found just north of the williamsburg bridge in brooklyn
image © designboom

various industrial elements from the factory campus are included as part of ‘artifact walk’
image © designboom

the refinery as seen from 325 kent
image © designboom

site plan indicating the layout of the park