Along the banks of the Harlem River, Roberto Clemente State Park has been serving the Bronx community for more than four decades. The first New York State (NYS) park established in an urban setting, it has recently been undergoing a transformation. It has been a rejuvenation not only for the landscape of the park, but for the neighborhood and community it serves. In the unveiling of Phase 1, the governor of New York said, "This is not just a park, it's a symbol of the new Bronx".
At 25-acres and with over 1.3 million visitors annually, Roberto Clemente is quite large for a New York City park. The user experience is designed first and foremost to ensure the park is easily navigable and accessible, while encouraging exploration. Our vision for the signage program was strategic and minimal, designed for seamless integration within its surroundings.
While maintaining the NYS park graphic standards for typeface and color palettes, we proposed a fresh approach for iconography to better suit the urban landscape. Graphic patterning and color combinations were inspired by the new building tile cladding, new furniture, pavement striping, new landscaping design, the playground, and the adjacent Harlem river.
We designed a map of the entire site as well as the activities building to orient visitors, assist in navigation, clarify accessible routing and encourage further exploration of this gorgeous, newly renovated park.
Other new amenities include a refreshed aquatics center, new ball fields and playgrounds, picnic area, boat launch, basketball courts, intertidal pool, and bike and walking paths. With the opening and implementation of Phase 1 now complete, we are excited for the Phase 2 expansion. It includes another new playground and an Observation Point—with an incomparable view of the Harlem River.
