Introduction

This is a project about discovering a ‘mystery’ within our daily interaction between us and the spaces around. So as a new New Yorker, like most of the people in NYC, I am very interested in how the Central Park developed its own realm, so to speak, inside the city. Also, the project requires us to find a route that we want the class/ viewers to follow. So as I research more into the park, I found out the JKO reservoir would be a nice topic since the enjoyable route (Shuman Running Track) and the mystery that boggles my mind are both present. I want to know how did the park’s design made people forget it is within a city.

 

About the reservoir

One of the Park’s most picturesque landscapes, the reservoir is 40 feet deep and holds a billion gallons of water. It was built in the 1860s as a temporary water supply for New York City, while the Croton Water system was shut down for repairs two weeks each year. At the time, it was unthinkable that a billion gallons of water would last less than two weeks. Today, some speculate that the City would go through that supply in just four hours. The reservoir was decommissioned in 1993, deemed obsolete because of the Third Water Tunnel.

President Bill Clinton, Madonna, and Jackie Kennedy Onassis (for whom the reservoir was named in 1994) have all run on the 1.58-mile track. For years, an unsightly seven-foot-high chain-link fence obscured the view. But when scuba divers discovered a piece of the original fence at the bottom of the reservoir, Central Park Conservancy commissioned a steel fence with cast-iron ornamentation, closely resembling the original. The current fence was completed in 2003, stands four feet high, and has opened up breathtaking views of the Park and surrounding cityscapes.

(Information from http://www.centralparknyc.org/)

About the route

The route begins at the MET 86th street transverse entrance and ends at the 90th street entrance/exit. The main reason I picked this route is how it gives us a good sense of the park’s layout. I would say it helps us understand the layering of the park. And let me explain better with photographs that I’ve taken.

First you start off on the 86th street, where everything is basically still a mid/uptown city setup- large amount of pedestrians(since we are right next to the MET), traffic, and some sounds from the park(birds chirping, kids playing and sometimes loud chatting could be heard outside of the park). So you get a mixture of sounds and scenes from the park and the city.

Then when you move in, you will find yourself walking on these wide walkways that has benches around them. The sounds outside the park gradually fade away when more of the park sounds become clearer. Also, this might sound weird but the air feels lighter and easier to breathe. These are some observations I noted down as I walk.

And here you will reach the crossroad of the East Dr- this is a passage for cars and cyclists to go through. So all of a sudden the atmosphere becomes more energetic. Interesting part about it is when you close your eyes, the sounds move around- imagine every vehicle and bike as a source of sounds.

Reaching the south gate of the reservoir.

A very interesting view- normally in Central Park you won’t be able to see any buildings if you go into the heart of the park. But next to the reservoir, you can still see the cityscape of Manhattan. Keeping them away with great distance somehow can mute the city- Which I think this is the key to create a different realm- an area that seems to be far from the city.

For years, an unsightly seven-foot-high chain-link fence obscured the view. But when scuba divers discovered a piece of the original fence at the bottom of the reservoir, Central Park Conservancy commissioned a steel fence with cast-iron ornamentation, closely resembling the original. The current fence was completed in 2003, stands four feet high, and has opened up breathtaking views of the Park and surrounding cityscapes.

(Information from http://www.centralparknyc.org/)

So this little diagram I made might help explaining my theory:

Conclusion

I think the park created the quiet atmosphere by successfully dividing the park into different zones that has varying levels of noise levels and openness. Of course, the park is world-renowned for its size and location- however people seldom look into how it did it- most people account this success into the grid system of Manhattan(since it is a part of the master plan, all credits suddenly fall into that).