The project involved taking an inner city block in the historic Yonkers downtown and transforming it to an open pedestrian space. An underground flume of the Saw Mill River, a tributary of the Hudson River, has run within the courtyard block for 100 years. Essential to the design was the day lighting of the river in two sections to create a unique water feature.

Designed as a “Woonerf”, or shared street, the new courtyard features paved walkways, extensive landscaping, rain gardens to catch storm water, and granite benches. A new mosaic column sculpture designed by a local artist Haifa Bint-kadi is centered on the plaza overlooking the river.

This iron sculpture recognizes Otis Brothers, founded in Yonkers where in 1852, Elisha Graves Otis introduced the first safety contrivance for elevators. Otis established a company for manufacturing elevators and went on to dominate the elevator industry. Today the Otis Elevator Factory is the world’s largest manufacturer of vertical transport systems.

The view and sounds of the river can be enjoyed from a granite and wood amphitheater and crossed over by two stunning wood and steel pedestrian accessible bridges. A new vehicular bridge allows service access.

For more pictures see here.

Taken with a Fuji X-E3 and Fuji XC 16-50mm f3.5-5.6 OSS II