Aerial view of Calvert Vaux Park Pavilion showing a metal-roofed community building beside a green soccer field where children are playing, surrounded by trees and city skyline in the distance.

Calvert Vaux Park Pavilion

Designed as part of PlaNYC’s initiative to improve park infrastructure, the Calvert Vaux Park Pavilion in Brooklyn combines five distinct functions—athletic storage, public restrooms, staff offices, a maintenance work area, and vehicle storage—into a single, cohesive facility. The building’s innovative footprint comprises three interlocking volumes, unified by a pitched roof that creates a recognizable silhouette and a sense of arrival. One wing addresses the playing fields with amenities for public use, while the opposite side opens to accommodate NYC Parks maintenance vehicles. A central volume connects these two zones and houses administrative functions. Sustainable design strategies include skylights for daylighting, a rainwater collection system for irrigation, and native plantings that reduce maintenance and environmental impact. Designed for durability and community engagement, the building balances heavy-use utility with visitor-friendly accessibility. It now serves as both a gateway to the park and a model for multifunctional public infrastructure.

Exterior view of the Calvert Vaux Park Pavilion with its gabled metal roof and screened entrance façade, framed by greenery and an open parking lot under a cloudy sky.
Aerial view of Calvert Vaux Park Pavilion showing its angular metal-roofed form between athletic fields and parking areas, surrounded by landscaped pathways and trees.
Evening view of the pavilion’s screened structure illuminated from within, the light glowing through the gabled form against a purple sunset sky.
Aerial view of Calvert Vaux Park showing the pavilion among multiple soccer fields, parking areas, and the surrounding greenery with water views in the distance.
Interior of the pavilion’s screened utility bay, highlighting the exposed steel trusses and open framework beneath the gabled metal roof.
Rear perspective of the pavilion’s pitched-roof structure, where visitors gather at the entrance adjacent to fenced sports fields and surrounding trees.
Restroom interior with clerestory skylights and stainless-steel partitions, illuminated by natural light filtering through translucent panels.
Interior view through floor-to-ceiling windows showing people walking outside near the athletic fields, emphasizing transparency and connection to the landscape.
Interior corridor of the pavilion looking toward the athletic fields, with clean geometric lines, frosted glass walls, and recessed ceiling lighting.

Awards: NYCxDESIGN Award, Greater Good: Environmental + Social Impact, Project Finalist, 2024
Public Design Commission of the City of New York Design Award, Excellence in Design, 2015

Pathway leading to the pavilion entrance surrounded by native plantings, with a visitor walking toward the building under a bright, partly cloudy sky.
Front view of the pavilion’s gabled structure featuring a screened metal enclosure with a maintenance vehicle inside, combining utility with open-air transparency.

Typology: Recreation, Civic/Cultural
Services: New Buildings. Sustainability
Status: Completed
Size: 2000 SF
Location: Staten Island, NY
Design Team: Principal-In-Charge: Juergen Riehm, FAIA, Project Manager: Anca Vasiliu, RA
LEED SILVER CERTIFIED
Photography: © TY COLE

Exterior view of Calvert Vaux Park Pavilion showing the brick façade with climbing greenery and a gently sloped metal roof, framed by lush landscaping along the entrance path.

Awards: NYCxDESIGN Award, Greater Good: Environmental + Social Impact, Project Finalist, 2024
Public Design Commission of the City of New York Design Award, Excellence in Design, 2015

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