Most of our work in Central Park has been restoration of old and historic structures, but we’ve had a few chances to contribute something new. The photo shows the new Belvedere Summerhouse, near Belvedere Castle, meant as a shelter and rest area. It replaces a bare paved area that had once had the original structure, which is long gone. Here’s a view of the original from 150 years ago:
The Summerhouse, and a number of other existing and reconstructed structures in the part, are in a style that I think of as Forest Primeval. The structure is built of large trimmed logs, with no shaping except for connections. This view of the center of the roof, showing the hub timber and radial girders, gives the idea:
The Summerhouse is isolated form any other human-built structures, and has a commanding position on top of a big rock. To give a sense of the scale, the hexagonal roof is about 30 feet across at its widest.
My thanks to Irfan Haider at the Central Park Conservancy for the photos, and to all of the CPC staff. They are always a fun client to work with. Shaquana Lovell was our project manager, analytically wrangling those logs.
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