"Battery Park City and the Authority are not just about the buildings – it’s about the character of the community that has developed over time. Public space has had a new renaissance in New York City, but here in Battery Park City is where it started."
R.M. Fischer’s Rector Gate is a festive archway marking the intersection of Rector Place and the Hudson River Esplanade. Built of Steel, bronze, and granite, and rising 50 feet high, the gateway draws its inspiration both from past and future, from Constructivism and Science Fiction, in the artist’s signature style. It is part Gotham and part Metropolis; and one almost expects to see bolts of electricity rising up its shafts to the skeletal cupola and fanciful spires of its crown. In its energetic, theatrical design, Rector Gate brings the romantic grandiosity of New York’s early skyscrapers and engineering feats down to human scale. The arch features seating at its base and is illuminated at night to add to its drama.
