Belvedere Castle,1919, Calvert Vaux


KISAIRIS ESPINAL
The Belvedere was designed in 1865, the purpose was made to be a Victorian Folly. A folly serves no purpose than to be an ornamental for observation. Its architectural style is Romanesque and  Gothic which adds the most outlandish and dreamlike quality to the park. Its purpose was meant to be an open-air structure which was influenced by its design. The Belvedere Castle was designed as an open shell with multiple doorway and large window. In 1919 they moved this structure element to New York which became the Meteorological Observatory which took over the United States Weather Bureau. The castle is made of pure stone which goes perfectly with the rocks from the lake. “The Gothic-style Castle was designed as a landmark for the pedestrian park visitor. The castle’s United States flag could be seen from the Mall, drawing the walkers down to Bethesda Terrace, over Bow  Bridge, and through the Ramble to the castle itself” (CentralPark.com).
The Castle was designed by Jacob Wrey Mould and Calvert Vaux, and has two main balconies that overlook some of Central Park most classical features. The name Belvedere is an Italian word that means “beautiful view” or “panoramic” (CentralPark.com).  The castle is located at the Vista Rock in Central Park, it was placed here because it was the highest place to measure the wind speed and the direction. The same use it had in 1919, it serves the
same purpose today. This structural element was designed for multiple view purposes, this is why is located on Southside of the central park overlooking The Great Lawn, The Ramble and Turtle Pond and many more. The native plans of the building incorporated two-story structure, with open air
with no doors and window. In the early 1960’s the weather bureau was replace with an automatic instrument that closes all the castle offices. The castle was left empty till 1983 when the Conservancy Park Observatory was moved they built the pavilions which became a visitor’s center. In 1996 there was an interactive nature exhibit inside for bird- watching kits which is used throughout the park.
In 1983, this structure underwent a full reconstruction because over the years it struggles with vandalism and decay. They also altered the turret, rebuilt the pavilion, and the castle was changed to a visitor center. The Belvedere Castle has been modified over time, this is one of the structures in Central park that gets the most love and tender. The Belvedere is on the track to become handicap accessible, this project hasn’t fully been approved due to certain concerns they have. The purpose of the renovation is to make the appearance more appealing. Their goal is to also reconstruct an access path that connects to the East Drive. The Belvedere Castle has numerous of reference in movies and literature. The castle has appeared in Count von Count on Sesame Street which showed some exterior shot of the façad. It also makes its way to many movies such as “stepmom”, “The Bostonians”, and “Hannah and Her Sister”. The Castle has also played a role in cultural reference which shows. Over the years the castle has served other purposes such as visitor center and a gift shop. There are also family and community programs and many programs held by the NYC urban park. Every structural element in Central Park has its own appealing and unbeatable views, with an educational site that gives information on the wildlife in the park.

Sources:
-Belvedere Castle in Central Park, New York City. Unique Journal.
-CentralPark.com, https://www.centralpark.com/things-to-do/attractions/belvedere-castle/. Accessed 17 Feb. 2018.
-Central Park Conservancy, www.centralparknyc.org/things-to-see-and-do/attractions/belvedere-castle.html?referrer=https://en.wikipedia.org/. Accessed 18 Feb. 2018.


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