Riverside County Park South Amphitheater Wins Design Merit Award

The New Jersey chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (NJASLA) has awarded the new Riverside County Park South Amphitheater the Design Merit Award in the category of Landscape Architectural Design and Site Design. Located in North Arlington, New Jersey, the Riverside Park Amphitheater building was designed by LAN Associates, with Landscape Architecture by MKW Associates.     

The goal of the amphitheater and comfort station project was to provide additional recreational services and necessary amenities to the surrounding area in Bergen County. The facilities are part of a more extensive set of projects, including new walking paths with access to the river, varied recreational spaces, and a new loop road with ample parking throughout the park. The overall project encompasses a majority of the 85 acres of the park along the Passaic River and spans the municipalities of Lyndhurst and North Arlington.

“The goal of the new amphitheater was to create an inspiring and relaxing venue,” said lead project architect Matthew Fink. “We wanted to build a space that offers more than a place to attend events, but a focal point of the park where friends and family can meet, relax, and share beautiful surroundings. To that end, the design focused on integrating the architecture with the landscape, providing natural shapes, textures, and materials with new forms of guest interaction.”

As visitors enter the vicinity, they are greeted by a comfort station designed to serve as a meeting point with welcome signage and nearby seating and restrooms. A curvilinear stone spine connects the comfort station to the amphitheater directly behind it. Seating is nestled into a hill and includes various benches and platforms for groups of all sizes. The design also utilizes the nearby riverside as a backdrop to the venue’s stone and concrete seating for audiences. An artistic, organic roof structure further connects the built elements to the landscape, providing shade and aiding acoustics.

The design also focused on a safe and secure environment, removing the institutional stigma of vandal-resistant design. The new facility provides accessibility and inclusivity for all users with a family, gender-neutral restroom located between the two gendered restrooms. The comfort station also features clerestory lighting for ample natural light and an accessible chase to provide maintenance without shutting down the building.

LAN Associates was the lead architectural and civil designer, working in conjunction with MKW + Associates on the project’s landscape design. The upgrades and improvements provide the community with a place to come together throughout all seasons and all events. The Merit award was announced at the NJASLA’s January event at Harrah’s in Atlantic City, NJ.       

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