Pocket Park

Located just off Main Street Essex, this courtyard and terrace project serves as a public gathering place and entrances to both an art gallery and Pilates studio. Once a neglected back alley, the area is remade into in a welcoming and dynamic public space. As a creative gesture to the art gallery, a carefully crafted custom steel bench is concentric to the granite and river stone paving bands and painted Chinese lacquer red to further animate the space.

Rather than viewing the unsightly bulkhead as a constraint, it is also painted red and reinvented into a whimsical art form. Bluestone, granite and riverstone paving with lush ornamental and native plantings create textural and seasonal interest. The project was enriched by thorough coordination and collaboration with an enthusiastic client, a talented contractor and local craftsmen.

Connecticut ASLA Merit Award