The development of Brooklyn Bridge Park in New York City has reinvented the landscape of Brooklyn’s East River Shoreline, repurposing the waterfront neighborhoods of Brooklyn Heights and DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) from industrial shipping and storage areas into the Eden of the East River. Designed by landscape architects Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, the 85-acre park provides green space for active and passive recreation on playing fields, ball courts, playgrounds, civic lawns, and running and bicycle paths. Pier 5, the park’s first field dedicated to active recreation, encompasses five acres of artificial turf, accommodating soccer, rugby, lacrosse, cricket and ultimate Frisbee sporting events.
Further reinforcing the sustainable design, Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy engaged structural engineers HNTB Corporation to develop a plan to shade the area so that it is more hospitable for sports activity, players and spectators alike. The result was a multifunctional network of lighting structures and canopy systems that enable night games after dusk and create comfortably shaded areas during the day.
The innovative canopy design configuration consists of 26 custom-designed fabric shade canopies, 13 lining each of the northern and southern sidelines of the pier. The canopies provide visitors with protection from the sun’s dangerous UV rays and cooling shade when watching an event or game.
Ted Zoli and Ryan Woodward, the primary structural engineers of the canopies project, selected Shade Systems Inc. of Ocala, Florida, after considering a number of potential contractors. Woodward cited the importance of Shade Systems’ experience with different meshes, tearing strength, general fabric behavior and long-term durability, as well as the Shade Systems team’s ability to develop highly customized fabric canopies for unique locations. “The canopies look good, fit well, and provide appropriate tension to retain and support the architectural shape of the fabric,” Woodward noted.
Per HNTB design specifications, Shade Systems developed custom canopies and connections that anchor onto existing lighting infrastructure, thereby creating a dual purpose: lighting the field at night while providing usability during the hottest times of the year. Zoli was likewise very happy with the outcome of the canopies project, and said, “The shades were well-received. The canopies enhance the functionality of the environment and make the area more versatile. It feels noticeably different in hot weather when under the canopies.”
Mayor Bloomberg was exuberant during the Brooklyn Bridge Park groundbreaking, saying, “As huge of a success Brooklyn Bridge Park has been, its brightest days are still ahead.”