Building of the Day: SeaGlass Carousel

SeaGlass Carousel demonstrates an innovative collaboration of art and design to create a distinctly contemporary, ecologically-themed environment for The Battery in Lower Manhattan. Inspired by the ocean’s beauty and The Battery’s history as the first home of the New York Aquarium, SeaGlass is an aquatic carousel, featuring huge fish rather than the usual horses and chariots. The project transforms the traditional ride structure into an instrument of the future, employing underground mechanisms to eliminate the need for a center post and allowing clear views across the pavilion and into the park’s lush gardens and landscape. In addition, unlike traditional carousels, SeaGlass riders sit inside the figures. This design makes the rider feel a part of the fish –even “becoming” the fish. The scale of the figures, from 6 feet to 13 feet high, adds to the wonder and grandeur of the experience. 

Architect: WXY architecture + urban design

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