Reading riverside drive

RIVERSIDE DRIVE VISUAL ANALYSIS OF A GREAT STREET

Rucha Mandlik I URBP 723 I Spring 2014

ABSTRACT Envisioned in the 19th century, Riverside Drive ceremoniously defines the western edge of Manhattan. It was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted as part of the Riverside Park master plan. Over the years, Olmsted’s idea of ‘a park with a tree lined drive curving around the valleys & rock outcroppings and overlooking the river’ was carried forward by a series of landscape architects including Calvert Vaux, Samuel Parson and Gilmore Clarke. In the early 20th century, under the influence of the City Beautiful movement, a number of monuments and sculptures were added along the Drive. Thus increasing the grandeur and elegance of the street. Stretching from 72nd street till 125th street, Riverside Park and Drive are combined into a synthesized landscape adhering to the topography. In 1980, the New York Landmark Preservation Commission designated this area as a Scenic Landmark.

Riverside Drive was designed and intended to be a great street and it is, indeed a street, that lives up to the characteristics of a great street. Apart from its natural beauty & tree lined paths, the drive is lined up with wonderful architecture defining its East edge. Variety of buildings - historic and modern, high rise and mid rise, add to the richness of the Drive. Older smaller buildings give a sense of history and continuity to the street. Building entrances, materials, fences, windows, corner details, gates and ornamentation, together give an eye engaging quality for a pedestrian on the sidewalk. It provides visual complexity without being chaotic. It is a pleasant urban street to walk, stroll, jog, bike and drive.

I visited Riverside Drive on a Saturday morning and walked from 72nd street till 103rd street. In my leisurely walk, I observed and documented the characteristics that count towards making it a great street. The following report of the ‘visual analysis’ of Riverside Drive, outlines the general aspects of the street. It describes the key features that contribute to its beauty - Street Design, Buildings, Topography & Trees, Details and Landmarks. 3 out of the many monuments/plazas on the Drive are explained in detail in the last few pages. These are the 3 places which I believe, capture the essence of the ceremonial public space called Riverside Drive.

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General Franz Siegel Sculpture

Reading Riverside Drive

106 th street

visual analysis of a great street

Commissioned in 1873 as a part of Riverside Park Master Plan.

103 th street

Designers: Frederick Law Olmsted, Calvert Vaux, Samuel Parson, Gilmore Clarke.

Firemen’s Monument

Riverside Park

100 th street

Park and parkway is combined into a synthesized landscape adhering to the topography.

Olmsted's idea - Park with tree lined drive curving around the valleys and rock outcroppings and overlooking the river.

96 th street

Early 20th century - City Beautiful movement Monuments and sculptures were added along the Drive.

Joan of Arc Sculpture

Broadway

Soldiers & Sailors Monument

The dimension of TIME - Evolution of Riverside Drive over time gives substance and adds richness to the street.

1980 - 72nd to 125th street was designated as a scenic landmark.

89 th street

86 th street

Riverside Drive

landmarkwest.blogspot.com 79 th street

Hamilton Fountain

Eleanor Roosevelt Monument

76 th street

72 nd street

timeshutter.com

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STREET DESIGN Designed and intended to be a great street.

One sided - one side lined by buildings and other flanked by open space.

Curvy and wide - purposefully.

Variety of street configuration makes it dynamic

72-79

88-103

Concave: Sense of closure Convex: Sense of curiosity, discovery Straight: Tree lined boulevard Narrow: Change in scale, more intimate Wide: Sense of true public realm.

103-125

79-88

Wide sidewalks with plenty of seating.

Multiple path configurations

Narrow & intimate

Park sidewalk with seating

Convex path

Concave path 4

BUILDINGS Variety of buildings - historic and modern, mid-rise and high rise.

Tighter spacing of buildings defines the East edge of the street.

Older smaller buildings give a sense of history & continuity.

Buildings orient themselves according to the street configuration. They curve with the street.

Corner windows

Buildings elements are designed to address the street - column, arch and recessed entrances,domed and angled corners with windows, strong cornice lines, diagonal corner entryways, stepped entry, direct entry etc.

Transition between public and private realm is subtle.

Low and high rise

Rounded corners

Curved facades Old & new

Smaller and older buildings 5

Variety in building design

Different entryways

Stepped & direct

Modern & traditional

Recessed

Angled

Direct & traditional

Direct & modern

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TOPOGRAPHY & TREES Riverside Drive blends seamlessly with the natural topography of the area.

Noticeable changes in the elevation throughout the street makes it dynamic.

At places the Drive splits at two levels, with different street widths.

Tress along Riverside Park define the east edge of the Drive, separating pedestrian and vehicular realms.

Street narrows on a curve sloping down

Trees add movement with constant movement of their branches and leaves.

Branches cast different shadow patterns on the street, building walls and sidewalk.

Different types of trees add color, shade and ornamental quality.

They create places for shade and sun. At places the branches come together overhead creating a canopy of shade.

Shrubs and ornamentals on building patios, and window sill act as an extension to the natural oasis across the street.

Riverside Park trees

Topography & elevation changes

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DETAILS Riverside drive is replete with variety of details in window grills, fences, tree pits, building materials, special design features, ornamentation, cornices, canopies, entrances, gates and paving.

Special design features

Fences, grills & gates

Building ornamentation & materials

Cafe entry detail

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General Franz Siegel Sculpture

LANDMARKS: Monuments and Plazas

106 th street

Work as break/pauses in between the street flow.

Act as physical markers for street orientation and important social places.

103 th street

Enhance the public character of the street. This is where a path becomes a place.

Firemen’s Monument

100 th street

106 th street stepped platform

Riverside Park 96 th street

93 rd street small plaza

Soldiers & Sailors Monument

Broadway

Joan of Arc Sculpture

100 th street plaza & fountain

89 th street

86 th street

88 & 89 th street large pedestrian plaza

79 th street

Hamilton Fountain

Eleanor Roosevelt Monument

76 th street fountain & plaza

76 th street

72 nd street

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72 nd street entry monument

HAMILTON FOUNTAIN 76 th street Hamilton Fountain faces 76th street and acts as a landmark pointing the arrival of Riverside Drive.

The sidewalk near the fountain widens and turns into a plaza on a concave street curve.

Park sidewalk below

76 th street

The semi circular plaza has benches and a sitting edge that faces the park below.

Hamilton Fountain becomes the focal point Sidewalk widens and becomes a plaza

The two sides of the plaza also mark the entry into Riverside Park by providing gentle and curved steps leading down to the park.

76 th street slopes down to Riverside Drive

Plaza and park below Plaza

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SOLDIERS & SAILORS MONUMENT 88 th & 89 th street The plaza and the monument give a sense of arrival. It sits on a higher level and can be viewed from 2 blocks away. The pedestrian plaza is well developed and provides ample seats.

Buildings of the surrounding block respond to the space by angled facades and window openings.

Plaza promenade also offers unobstructed long views of the Hudson River for the first time on Riverside Drive.

Angled corners with windows facing the plaza

90 th street

Monument is located on stepped terraces.

Plaza sits on a concave curve & draws the user in

West End

89 th street

Riverside Drive slopes upwards

88 th street

Public Plaza

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FIREMEN’S MONUMENT 100 th street Firemen’s monument marks the end of 100th street in the form of a solid thick wall with a matching street width.

Lower and wider Drive Higher and narrower Drive

Broadway

Firemen’s plaza at the mid-level between two streets on lower and higher level

100 th street

West End

Gentle steps to Riverside Drive on lower level

However after we take the steps towards the other side of the wall, a spacious plaza with fountain and seating space is revealed. This element of surprise adds richness to this junction.

The plaza is located at one of the places where narrower riverside drive runs on the higher level and a wider Riverside Drive runs on a lower level to the West. Firemen’s plaza sites on the middle level.

First set of steps to approach the plaza have regular risers while the next wider flight of steps have gentle risers going down to lower Riverside Drive, thus adding variety and communicating the arrival of a wider road and departure from a more intimate setting on the top.

Varied step risers & widths

Monument seen from 100th street

backside fountain

Mid level plaza facing lower Drive

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Hamilton Fountain Plaza 76th street

Hudson River

Henry Green Hudson way Parkway

Plaza

Riverside Park

Riverside Drive

Buildings

Soldiers & Sailors Monument Plaza 88th & 89th street

Hudson River

Green way

Henry Hudson Parkway

Riverside Park

Plaza

Riverside Drive

Buildings

Firemen’s Monument Plaza 100th street

Henry Hudson Hudson River & greenway Parkway

Riverside Park

Riverside Drive

Plaza 13

Riverside Drive

Buildings