Arched Pavilion Opens in Manhattan‘s Flood-Resilient Wagner park
NEW YORK, NY – Thomas Phifer and Partners has completed work on a striking arched pavilion within Wagner Park, a key component of a larger resiliency project designed to protect Lower Manhattan from rising sea levels and increased flooding. The newly unveiled structure, alongside park-wide improvements led by AECOM, offers both a public amenity and a critical defense against the growing threat of coastal climate change.
As global heating drives sea level rise, coastal cities face escalating risks from storm surges and flooding. Wagner Park’s redesign, completed in September 2025, exemplifies a proactive approach to urban resilience, integrating flood protection measures with accessible public space. The project joins a growing international trend of incorporating resiliency strategies into park design, with similar initiatives underway in Copenhagen and Randers, Denmark. The park is part of a broader effort to safeguard Manhattan’s waterfront and ensure its long-term viability.
The redesigned Wagner Park features a range of flood-mitigation strategies alongside the pavilion.The Battery Park City Authority oversaw the project, with AECOM leading landscape architecture and urban design. Site Works served as the landscape architect of record.
Project Credits:
Landscape architecture and urban design: AECOM
Architectural design team: Thomas Phifer and Partners
Landscape architect of record: Site Works
Structural engineering: AECOM Engineering
Marine structural engineering: AECOM Engineering
Civil engineering: magnusson Klemencic Associates
Construction manager: LiRo-Hill
Park general contractor: Posillico Bove Joint Venture
Pavilion general contractor: EW Howell
MEP engineering: Milhouse
Lighting design: tillotson Design Associates
Envelope: SGH
Sustainability certification: Atelier Ten
Surveyor: naik Consulting Group
Geotechnical engineering: Oweis Engineering
Food service consulting: Cini-Little
Aquatic habitat consultant: Nautilus International Development Consulting
Expediter: Noel Building Consulting
community engagement: Arch Street Communications
Signage: Tonic Group
* AV/IT: Harvey Marshall Berling Associate