In 1858, the city of New York launched a competition to design the vast Central Park. However, the city imposed a number of conditions. There had to be a parade ground, a fountain, a watchtower, an ice skating rink, four intersecting roads and an exhibition space. The winning design would be executed and the designers were awarded a top prize of two thousand dollars.
The city received 32 proposals and the design signed by FL Olmsted and C. Vaux was declared the winner. Their plan to turn Central Park into a miniature version of New York state has become a reality. But the world-famous park could have looked very different.
Of the 31 other entries, only one has survived to the New York Historical Society: that of John J. Rink. Budget Direct shows what Central Park would have looked like if its design had won. He took the gardens of Versailles as an example. One notable part of his plan was a museum that would be nearly as large as the Metropolitan Museum.
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Alternative Central Park © Budget Direct
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Alternative Central Park © Budget Direct
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Alternative Central Park © Budget Direct
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Alternative Central Park © Budget Direct
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Alternative Central Park © Budget Direct
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Alternative Central Park © Budget Direct
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