New York unveils most dramatic changes to Central Park in years – in pictures

The $160m makeover to the park’s north side is part of a long-term project to address years of neglect

Tobias Everke

Main image: A free yoga class on the artificial grass surface outside of the new Davis Center. Photograph: Tobias Everke/The Guardian

  • Central Park, designed by renowned US landscape designer Frederick Law Olmsted, first opened to the public in 1858. In the 1860s, a tidal marsh in the park’s north-east corner was transformed into the Harlem Meer. The lake, seen here as a skating rinkin 1905, was named for the neighborhood nearby
    Historic picture of people ice skaing on the frozen Harlem Meer circa 1905

  • Central Park, circa 1943. The northern reaches of the park, including Harlem Meer, were notable for rugged terrain that made it an especially bucolic escape from the city
    black and white photo of view between the loch and the Meer

  • But the middle of the 20th century brought major redevelopment to the north end of the park, including a project that encased the meer in a concrete retaining wall. Much of the landscape was paved over and built up, including with an ice rink/pool. During the city’s financial crisis of the 1970s, this northern section of the park – which is surrounded by less affluent, historically Black and Latino neighborhoods – fell into disrepair. Seen here: a model of Lasker rink and pool, circa 1966
    black and white overhead view of park

  • In 2021, crews broke ground on a project to replace the Lasker rink and pool with a new recreation center. The $160m Davis Center, which opened in April, offers year-round activities and also restores natural ecologies around the meer. Pictured here: A yoga class on the new Harlem Oval
    a group of people doing a yoga class on a grassy area outside

  • The Oval is a central element of the redesign. It may look like a lawn, but …
    people stand against a barricade overlooking an artificial grass surface hiding a pool and a future ice rink

  • … one of the key features of the center is its ability to evolve with the seasons. The lawn will transform into a swimming pool in the summer, as seen in this aerial rendering, and an ice skating rink in the winter
    Aerial view of Davis Center in summer with the pool in use

  • The new Davis Center building is tucked into a hillside and overlooks the oval and the meer. Passive design reduces the need for artificial heating and cooling
    geese stand in a grassy area by the water, with a building in the background

  • The green roof features skylights that illuminate the main atrium and walkways for pedestrians. Vegetation helps absorb stormwater and heat
    green eco roof has skylights for the center underneath, with benches and a walkway nearby

  • A view from inside the Davis Center atrium. Large glass doors open on to the oval. The glass is engineered to minimize reflections, helping to prevent bird collisions
    a person sits inside at a long table beside a panel of large glass doors overlooking a grassy area

  • The Huddlestone arch, located nearby, was built in 1866 from massive boulders found in the landscape. Previous designs obscured the arch. The new Davis Center restores the flow of water between the meer and a forested area called the North Woods that previous development had severed
    two people walking a dog walk under a stony archway next to a body of water

  • The project also resurfaces a hidden stream that flows into the Harlem Meer and reintroduces native flora to the landscape. Large rocks help to prevent soil erosion
    stream of water surrounded by trees

  • There are several new walkways, including a boardwalk that traverses the meer and allows pedestrians to get a closeup look at freshwater marsh plantings
    walking paths surrounded by water on both sides, some trees and city buildings in the background

  • An aerial view of the new Davis Center
    aerial view of tree-filled park with bodies of water in middle and city skyline in back
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