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The architects behind the High Line designed the most beautiful office park ever

Chris Weller

2016-01-14T19:00:00Z

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Everyone loves a good park.

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Fewer like a good office park.

In June of 2015, however, the architecture firm behind New York City's beloved High Line, James Corner Field Operations, did the unthinkable with Philadelphia's Navy Shipyard.

They debuted a beautiful office park.

Tucked inside a circular 0.20-mile track are 46 smaller circles that house trees, ping pong tables, bocce courts, hammocks, an amphitheater, fitness stations, and general purpose circles that are built for your own social circle.

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From above, it's stunning. From within, it's an adventure.

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The original Navy Shipyard in Philadelphia was built in 1776 and hadn't changed too much in the centuries since.

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It wasn't until last summer that 15 years of transformation in the Navy Yard culminated in the year-long construction of a 140-company office park.

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For the more than 10,000 people who work in the Navy Yard's office park, that means 74 acres of circular relaxation and recreation.

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There's a 0.2-mile track encircling the park, complete with a digital readout of the time down to the second.

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The track also features lounge chairs on the perimeter and a bike lane on the innermost ring.

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Central Green also features a TRX workout area for people to do pull-ups, push-ups, and stretch.

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In another circle not too far away, people can channel their inner ping pong champion.

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"We really wanted to create this work-play environment, which was part of Liberty Property Trust's whole vision for this part of the Navy Yard," Kimberly Cooper, a Field Operations associate who oversaw Central Green's construction, told Fast Company.

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Source: Fast Co. Design

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That includes a beachgoer favorite: bocce ball.

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In addition to the employees in the area, Central Green will accommodate thousands more as apartments and condos go up in the surrounding neighborhood.

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The European company mmcité provided much of the outdoor furniture.

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The spaces are perfect for lively conversation ...

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... quieter discussion ...

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... or the performance of a lifetime.

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As the years pass, the hundreds of trees and thousands of bulbs that have been planted will only continue to add to the park's overall beauty.

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While this may eventually shroud the underlying design, it will still remain just as functional as a park that can — and should — be enjoyed by all.

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