DOMINO PARK
Earlier this summer, the new Domino Park opened along the East River in Brooklyn just north of the Williamsburg Bridge. The park was designed by the landscape architecture firm James Corner Field Operations, best known for their work on the High Line. In the coming years, a new mixed use development will take shape behind the park on the site of the old Domino Sugar Refinery.
In 2004, the sugar refinery closed after 148 years of operation. It was granted landmark status in 2007. Developers and architects proposed different plans to redevelop the site until a plan by SHoP Architects for Two Trees Management was ultimately approved in 2014. The plan extends River Street down to South 5th Street by the bridge. The first building at 325 Kent is open now with 500 apartments. Future phases will include new high rise apartment towers and a renovation of the existing Filter House.
Within the narrow strip of landscape between the River Street and the riverside promenade there are lawns, a playground, a dog run, a sand volleyball court and a small restaurant. Five acres of parkland stretch for a quarter of a mile with an elevated “artifact walk” inspired by the catwalks that connected the building on the refinery site. The park is new but it incorporates historic elements from the industrial past of the sugar refinery including two large 80 foot cranes, steel syrup tanks, screw conveyors, mooring bollards among other elements. The fog bridge spans historic timber piles with misters that produce a cloud of fog. A playground designed by Brooklyn artist Mark Reigelman includes silo pipes, elevated platforms and slides that mimic the old refinery. A fountain with playful illuminated waterworks are fun on a hot day. You can feel the spirit of the industrial past pushing through this contemporary park.
In the park, you will find Tacocina, a Mexican restaurant with counter service and outdoor seating. A great menu of food and drinks for a taco stand in a park and a spectacular view.
Enjoy your visit to Domino Park.