Gowanus Salt Lot Public Park

Gowanus by Design advocates for sustainable urban strategies around the canal Superfund site. In 2018, we proposed a new park on the existing Salt Lot site at the north end of Second Avenue. Three buildings are wrapped in materials referencing the industrial history of the area. The retention tank/headhouse and composting facility/greenhouse are clad in the same corrugated sheet steel that borders the edge of the waterway. The Gowanus Field Station is a community center finished with deep timber boards. The design of the upper section of the headhouse proposes alternating vertical bands of curved translucent glass and terra cotta louvers. The entire west side of the lot is proposed as a public park. The conceptual proposal was intended to spark a conversation on how the canal’s new infrastructure can support much needed public urban space.