Project: The Davis Center at the Harlem Meer, Central Park
Location: Central Park, New York, NY
Services Performed: Project Manager/Owner’s Representative
Architect: Susan T. Rodriguez Architecture and Mitchell Giurgola Architects
The Central Park Conservancy has completed the transformative redevelopment of the former Lasker Ice Rink and Pool, replacing the outdated facility with the Davis Center—a $160 million project that seamlessly fuses modern recreation with the park's historic landscape. Officially opened in April 2025, the Center sits within the curvilinear frame of Olmsted and Vaux’s original East Drive design. By building the facility into the site’s eastern topography and topping it with a sweeping green roof, the architects have effectively concealed the structure from view from above, restoring the expansive vistas of the northern park.
A central triumph of the project is the ecological restoration of the Ravine watercourse, which now flows freely into the Harlem Meer for the first time in decades, re-establishing the historic pedestrian path and a new shoreline boardwalk. The facility operates as a year-round community hub: the Gottesman Pool provides summer swimming, while the site transitions into the Gottesman Rink for ice skating and hockey in the winter. During the shoulder seasons, the "Harlem Oval" offers a public green for gathering and programs. This LEED Gold-certified facility, which received the 2021 Public Design Commission Award for Excellence in Design, stands as a model for equitable, sustainable, and landscape-integrated urban architecture.
Location: Central Park, New York, NY
Services Performed: Project Manager/Owner’s Representative
Architect: Susan T. Rodriguez Architecture and Mitchell Giurgola Architects
The Central Park Conservancy has completed the transformative redevelopment of the former Lasker Ice Rink and Pool, replacing the outdated facility with the Davis Center—a $160 million project that seamlessly fuses modern recreation with the park's historic landscape. Officially opened in April 2025, the Center sits within the curvilinear frame of Olmsted and Vaux’s original East Drive design. By building the facility into the site’s eastern topography and topping it with a sweeping green roof, the architects have effectively concealed the structure from view from above, restoring the expansive vistas of the northern park.
A central triumph of the project is the ecological restoration of the Ravine watercourse, which now flows freely into the Harlem Meer for the first time in decades, re-establishing the historic pedestrian path and a new shoreline boardwalk. The facility operates as a year-round community hub: the Gottesman Pool provides summer swimming, while the site transitions into the Gottesman Rink for ice skating and hockey in the winter. During the shoulder seasons, the "Harlem Oval" offers a public green for gathering and programs. This LEED Gold-certified facility, which received the 2021 Public Design Commission Award for Excellence in Design, stands as a model for equitable, sustainable, and landscape-integrated urban architecture.
Images ©Richard Barnes (Photos) and Susan T. Rodriguez Architecture (Rendering)