Last week the Peter Minuit Plaza and New Amsterdam Plein and Pavilion were inaugurated with a ceremony. Several dignitaries from New York City and the Netherlands officially opened the Plaza and Pavilion on the most southern tip of Manhattan in New York City to the public.

Part of part major project that includes a complete overhaul of the Staten Island Ferry Terminal, the Peter Minuit plaza is a transportation hub and public area located directly in front of the ferry terminal.

The New Amsterdam Plein and Pavilion anchors the north end of the plaza. This $2.3 million gift from the Kingdom of the Netherlands on the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson's arrival into New York Harbor honors four centuries of Dutch-American friendship and a mutual passion for the values of innovation and creativity, diversity and openness, entrepreneurship and progress.

Design by Ben van Berkel

The Plein and Pavilion was conceived by the Battery Conservancy to create an "outdoor living room for spontaneous and scheduled activities, public markets, seating and shade". The gleaming white pavilion on the plein was designed by Ben van Berkel of UNStudio, Amsterdam.

The design for New Amsterdam Plein and Pavilion creates a 5,000-square-foot programmed space housing regional organic food by Merchant’s Market, as well as the Alliance for Downtown New York’s Visitor Information Booth.

Official opening by Prince Willem-Alexander and Máxima

In September 2009, during the celebrations of NY400, there was an official opening ceremony of the Pavilion with Prince Willem-Alexander and Máxima, but the actual construction of the square and pavilion was not completed at that time.

Photograps on Dutch Arts Events
The Battery Conservancy: http://www.thebattery.org