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Photo: Courtesy of Filip Wolak
To give The Battery a glittering future, the Battery Conservatory is digging into its past. In 1896, the park at the southernmost tip of Manhattan was home to New York’s first aquarium. Over 100 years later, nestled between the rivers, high-rises and construction sites, the aquarium returns, only in the form of a carousel.
SeaGlass Carousel at The Battery opens to the public on Thursday, August 20. But the carousel, a development with 30 larger-than-life fish, intricately choreographed to simulate the ultimate aquatic experience, is more than just a ride – it’s a show.
The modern spiral-shaped structure at the center of the park houses an array of luminescent fiberglass fish. The 12 species dance about the four rotating turntables to the sound of specially adapted classical music, all the while illuminated by an intricate lighting design.
The carousel will operate from 1 p.m. through midnight on opening day, and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week thereafter. Rides are $5 each.
Photo: Courtesy of Filip Wolak
To bring the modern carousel to life, The Battery Conservancy partnered with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.
From its preliminary sketches to its grand opening, Downtown’s newest cultural attraction took 10 years and a large team to create. The carousel began as the post-September 11 vision of the Conservancy and WXY Architecture + Urban Design.
Warrie Price, President of The Battery Conservancy, says SeaGlass “will make The Battery a destination in its own right.” In other words, no longer will The Battery be the park you walk through. Instead, the not-for-profit corporation aims to revitalize the 25 acres of prime real estate, with the modern carousel as its focal point.
Also new to the park and surrounding the carousel are the Tiffany & Co. Foundation Woodland Gardens.
Organic food carts will eventually surround the carousel, according to Price, who says she hopes to see the attraction serve as a cultural stimulus and the site of various other events and activities.
And that’s just the beginning. In addition to the seven acres of play area surrounding the attraction, construction of a large playground is also expected to begin at the end of 2016.
George Tsypin, the theater designer and urban planner responsible for designing the fish, says he worked to make SeaGlass more than just an amusing ride. “I think we succeeded in creating something downtown that will be not only a carousel to experience, but a spectacle to watch.”
–by Ricki Harris