On top of Boston’s Big Dig tunnel, renovation unfolds on the Rose Fitzgerald Greenway, where a National Park Service education pavilion meets a whimsical carousel, born from children’s dreams of Boston’s wildlife. The Harbor Islands Pavilion and Carousel Grove exemplifies how thoughtful, incremental changes can significantly enhance the urban fabric, creating spaces that educate, inspire, and connect us to our city and each other. This fusion of learning and play is set against a backdrop of new plantings and pavings that reflect the footprint of former historical piers, inviting the community to gather in a revitalized historic urban space.

The pavilion’s canopy defines a space of education and recreation. Utile’s ultra-thin concrete shells, designed to facilitate interaction and learning, collect rainwater that activates a sculptural waterjet granite splashpad that incorporates references to the harbor’s aquatic life on its path to irrigate the active lawn and edge plantings. Granite seats and interpretive signs create a sanctuary from the city’s bustle, focusing visitors on the natural and historical richness of the harbor.

The Greenway Carousel and Tiffany & Co. Foundation Grove offer a retreat where artistry and nature converge. Artisan Jeff Briggs’ carousel creatures, native to Boston’s land, sea, and sky, spin stories of the harbor’s biodiversity. The grove’s year-round plantings and comfortable seating provide a picturesque setting for both reflection and celebration. Stormwater is redirected to irrigate the trees through drains along the carousel railing and permeable pavings.

Work completed while employed at Reed Hilderbrand; Adrian Fehrmann was the Project Manager from Schematic Design through Construction Observation.