I began working at the Prospect Park Alliance in February of 2007 when the Lakeside Center was just beginning concept design with Todd Williams and Billie Tsein's office. This 26 acre site included the demolition of the Kate Wollman Ice Rink, the restoration of Olmsted and Vaux's Music Island and a new 21st century ice rink designed my award winning TWBTA and their wonderful staff lead by Andy Kim and Elisa Testa. I was the lead designer in the Prospect Park Alliance, guided by Christian Zimmerman and supported by Laura Evans, fresh out of the University of Georgia's landscape architecture program. Construction began three years ago and this Christmas it was opened to the public for the first time. I can't explain how wonderful it is to see people walk through a landscape you helped to create. It becomes real, and all those years of construction seem a dream.
Beautiful snowy pictures below were taken by Christian Zimmerman
Diana Reily, me and the volunteers and the ribbon cutting. A happy day. Photo by volunteer coordinator Jessica Jamhoury
Looking from the north building green roof, skaters testing it out. Photo by Crystal Gaudio