Park Slope Civic Council Names Prospect Park Gateway Design Comp Winners

The Park Slope Civic Council announced the winners yesterday in its design competition for the Third Street entrance to Prospect Park, which has sported rickety metal barricades since it was closed to cars in April 2009.

In addition to designing a better gateway to the park, the entries had to be movable, to allow for emergency vehicle access. And they got points for feasibility: The winner could potentially serve as a template for Third Street and other entry points to the park.

"Stone Garden," an entry from Jordan Yamada and Peter Zaharados, took the top prize in the competition. The stones would be set into recessed grooves and could be re-positioned to clear a path for emergency vehicles. The award announcement notes that Stone Garden appealed to the jury on several levels, but that "the design would likely be modified in its mechanical functions, if brought to prototype stage." Operationally, those grooves (and the stones in the bikeway) could be problematic for passing pedestrians and cyclists.

"The Tree Grove," an aluminum sculpture that would rotate on a central pivot, took the runner-up position, followed by the "Third Street Arches." Follow the jump for renderings and see all the winning entries in this slideshow.