In the late 19th century the East River briefly froze over and New York City residents crossed to Brooklyn by walking on the ice.

A tiered skating and park pathway expands the current sports infrastructure at East River Park in downtown Manhattan. Four podiums, each with a different program, connect the elevated park path to the skating path below. As water levels rise, the podiums fill. Over time, the skating pathway transforms into skating ponds. The transformable configuration ensures that the central activity is maintained at water level.

Skating and Park Pier - Lower East Side, Manhattan, New York - Instructor: Ilias Papageorgiou, Studio PILA - GSAPP 2017