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Read the press release here.

Designers Battle for a Permanent Seat in Battery Park

By Irene Plagianos | November 18, 2013 4:53pm
 The final 5 designs will be on view in Battery Park from April through June, before a winner will be chosen and used in Battery Park.
Battery Conservancy Chair Design Finalists
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FINANCIAL DISTRICT — A reversible purple rocking chair, a bright pink recliner or a lightweight seat in the shape of flower may one day be your favorite spot to sit in Battery Park.

Those three whimsical — and durable — seats, along with two other designs, are each under consideration in a Battery Conservancy contest that set out to find the perfect chair for a new expanse of greenery in Battery Park.

The five finalists were chosen after more than 675 designers from 15 countries across the U.S., Canada, Mexico and South America submitted their vision for the best portable seats to fill the Battery Green, a 3-acre oval that is now under construction in the park, across the street from Bowling Green. 

Brooklyn designers Simon Kristak and Aidan Jamison were the only New Yorkers to make the final cut. The other chair designers hail from California, Canada, Mexico and Brazil.

Kristak and Jamison's chair, called the "Pivot Chair," lets visitors either sit up or recline. The chair's flat surfaces can also double as tabletops for ”food, drinks, or even a laptop for a lunch-hour recess," the designers said in a statement.

The chair champion — who will be announced next year after the prototypes go on public display for testing from April through June in Castle Clinton — will win $10,000 and have 300 of their special seats produced and placed in the park.           

The Battery Conservancy said the public's opinion of the chair's design and comfort level will help their panel of judges make their final decision.

“The Battery looks forward to translating this design experience into real, versatile, movable chairs for millions of visitors to use as they enjoy the magnificent Battery Green,” said Warrie Price, president of The Battery Conservancy, in a statement.