THE STURGEONS
SCIENCE PLAYGROUND
WHERE:
Pier 26 at Hudson River Park, New York City, NY, USA
YEAR:
2024
COLLABORATION:
OLIN
The Hudson River Park Trust
FIND ON GOOGLE MAPS
The Science Playground at Hudson River Park's Pier 26 is home to two larger-than-life sturgeons, that stretch up amongst the surrounding skyscrapers and are packed with fun, playful, learning opportunities!
Immerse yourself in the marine life of the Hudson River through these highly interactive play features, that invite and inspire children to explore. The 24-meter-long creatures can be scaled on the outside and inside, children can journey through the endangered fish, learning about their anatomy, habitat and nature as they play.
The sculptures represent an Atlantic sturgeon and a shortnose sturgeon and are designed in collaboration with OLIN and The Hudson River Park Trust. The playground will serve as an extension to the future Hudson River Park Estuarium, planned to be built here.
Cover photo credit: You Wu
INCLUSIVE PLAY
We strive to create thrilling playgrounds for all children, regardless of ability or age, which was also a central goal for this project. Our ambition is to avoid the creation of a gap between children due to ability, meaning that the playground is designed to offer all children good play opportunities and motivate them to move and explore the playground - together.
The aesthetic expression of the playground was at the forefront of the design process, resulting in sculptural and eye-catching landmarks in the cityscape that inspire people to become part of the adventure.
The playground meets all safety requirements of the ASTM standards and also follows ADA guidelines for accessibility.
Designed with multiple access points and varying degrees of challenging climbing routes within, the two play structures are accessible for all. The large Atlantic sturgeon is accessible to wheelchair users by way of a ground-level opening and incorporates ramps with grips inside to enable climbing and crawling to the slides for those with limited mobility.
Both fish are designed with multiple accessible features such as sensory elements, ramps, steps and transfer platforms, which all facilitate hours of play for kids and their families.
Discover more about our incusive approach:
"Fantastic playground with such innovative designs
that encourage creative play and problem-solving."- Yiyi, Visitor at Pier 26
Join the fish in motion, swimming along the riverbed.
Jump, climb and hop on the fish eggs.
The Atlantic and shortnose sturgeons are both endangered species.
MEET THE SHORTNOSE STURGEON
Slide down out from the shortnose sturgeon.
Discover characteristic details such as the sturgeon's "scutes" - bony diamond-shaped plates.
Low, broad accessible stairs to the smaller sturgeon.
TAKE A DEEP-DIVE WITH US
The big sturgeon has a wide, ground-level entrance and can therefore be navigated by wheelchair.
An unsuspecting shrimp floats in the water alongside the huge sturgeons.
Discover all the fun facts around the playground.
DISCOVER THE INSIDE STORY
A colourful explosion of details - the insides are a treat for the senses!
Climb down through the intestines of the fish.
CREATING AN EDUCATIONAL ADVENTURE
The playground is designed as a recreational and educational resource for New York families and it will also serve as the outdoor extension of the environmental programming at the ecology-focused Pier 26 and the future Hudson River Park Estuarium to be built next to the playground.
With such a strong focus on learning, we worked closely with Hudson River Park’s River Project team, who advised on the scientific aspects of the design, helping to integrate science-based, age-appropriate educational features that help bring the sturgeon to life.
At the playground, children learn by more than merely reading about it but by being part of the unique, immersive experience of entering the fish's inner system and becoming more aware of the Hudson River habitat and the endangered sturgeon.
The Pier 26 Science Playground was made possible by a $3.5 million fundraising campaign successfully completed by Hudson River Park Friends in 2021.
An early-stage 3D fly-through of the playground site.
