Bio
Emmanuel Thingue has changed the landscape of the city through his elegant and thoughtful designs for many of its signature public parks. In 1990 he joined what was, at the time, a new in-house design program at the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR). Twenty years later, he still loves being able to design a park from beginning to end. When asked how he would describe his signature look, he says, “I try to feel how it would be to live in the space.” Mr. Thingue is unparalleled in his ability to work with communities to make the most of his technical skill and design aesthetic to create both beautiful and functional spaces. He designs two to three parks per year and uses his vast creativity even when dealing with small spaces. “His work has a signature,” explains David Carlson, Deputy Chief of Design at DPR, “whether a spray shower, wall or other ornamentation—his creative detailing is contemporary, playful and beautiful.” As he did the first time he walked through the broken lot on South Oxford Street in Brooklyn, Mr. Thingue must often look beyond spaces, often strewn with rubble and weeds, to envision the parks they will become. Parks are practical urban amenities. “Urbanites don’t have backyards,” explains Mr. Thingue. More than that, his designs lift the imagination beyond the grid patterns and bricks of surrounding streets. The fact that thousands of residents and visitors have made his parks destination spots in the city is a testament to his vision and ability.
