Dianne Cardwell in the New York Times:
Frank Gehry, the architect known for buildings adorned with undulating banners of titanium, is set to make his first foray into the world of monkey bars and swings with a new playground at Battery Park, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said yesterday.
The playground’s design, which will transform an aging, underused expanse of gray-pebbled concrete, is to be unveiled this year, city officials said, and will include an environmentally friendly restroom building with a planted roof and walls.
“Everything Frank Gehry touches is unique, and I’m sure it will be a great park,” Mr. Bloomberg said at a news conference yesterday.
The playground is part of a larger redevelopment of the Battery, which includes a bikeway connecting the East and West sides of Manhattan, gardens and the restoration of Castle Clinton, a fort that later became an opera house and an immigration station. The city has set aside $4 million to build the playground, with the Battery Conservancy, a nonprofit group, planning to raise whatever additional funds are needed.
More here.