A small group of Downtown parents and children met in the Battery Conservancy’s office last week to give internationally-renowned architect Frank Gehry some ideas as he designs playground space for them in Battery Park. Run, climb, play, sand, swing, bathrooms, kid-sized fixtures, easy access to food-cart vendors, separate play areas for toddlers and older children, and have only one entrance — were among the suggestions sent to the architect. Gehry, best known for his Guggenheim Museum design in Bilbao, Spain, announced he was donating his services to the playground project earlier this year. It will be his first playground anywhere and his second design for Lower Manhattan’s children. Gehry is also designing the exterior of the K-8 school and residential tower planned for Beekman St.
