Hell Gate Comfort Station

Hell Gate Comfort Station. Randall's Island Park. , Perched on a knoll overlooking the East River, and framed by the monumental RFK (Triboro) and Hell Gate bridges, this little municipal comfort station is an echo of the first efforts to transform the island-landscape into a park. Its slate roof and brick ornament reflect a 'cottage-like' aesthetic of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when park buildings conformed to a rustic setting. After a period of dormancy, this structure was restored by the Randall's Island Park Alliance in 2010-2011, and is now reopened for use. The outer walls retain the flecks of mauve, blue and green paint left from generations of use and taste., In the 19th century, Wards and Randall's Islands were used to house the sanitoria and potter's fields for the city's rapidly expanding population. This pattern of use persisted, despite increasing obsolescence, corruption and public criticism, up through to the Depression. Frequent efforts to reclaim the land as a public park, as early as the 1910's, came to naught. The public envisioned the islands as an expansive rural outpost, for relief from overcrowding, particularly in upper Manhattan and the Bronx. But it was not until the 1930's when funds and labor became available to the city through the Works Progress Administration (WPA), that such an undertaking became possible. Robert Moses, Chairman of the Triborough Bridge Authority and NYC Parks Commissioner, was able to build the bridge and park in tandem. The completion of the Triborough Bridge and the Municipal (Downing) Stadium in 1936 points to the groundbreaking activity on Wards and Randall's Islands in the Depression era. This comfort station came about probably in the wake of these transformative projects., The accommodation of 'nature's calling' within a natural setting has been the unique, and often challenging, responsibility of NYC Parks. When parks were conceived in 19th century America as pleasure grounds for the public, basic amenities like toilets and shelter were incorporated into the design. As the convention matured, these 'privies' or 'urinals' graduated into 'comfort stations', sometimes couple with other functions like a shelter or a look-out. In the experimental days of early Central Park, there was even an attempt to design composting toilet, for soil amendment., The simple design requirements of the comfort station allowed for some play in the style and choice of material. Early examples seem almost whimsical now. this particular comfort station used materials and design found in other municipal structures that are loosely contemporary: at Fort Totten in Queens, Marine Park in Brooklyn and Crotona Park in the Bronx, to name a few., Comfort stations of the modern era likewise reflect contemporary design and use of materials. Although the requirements remain unchanged, the new play of materials and shapes result in a different character of building. Three new comfort stations have been added to Randall's Island, using industrial materials, a bold use of color, orange, and a polygonal outer shell with clerestory windows. Designed by Ricardo Zurita, who also designed the Randall's Island Tennis Center and Icahn Stadium, these new facilities offer rest and refreshment, as well as a response to nature's calling.