The public parks near the Williamsburg Bridge in New York City are almost completely walled and fenced off from the river, and are highly underused. The Barrier Pier is a playful response to this currently closed condition by beginning as a set of closed walls that, as one moves along the pier, unfold toward the water. The pier is a feature that attracts new users to the park to experience and enjoy the river and the architecture of the bridge.

The pier bends twice to create view corridors toward the piers of the Williamsburg bridge, and the walls thin out toward the end of the pier and terminate in a softly sloping ramp into the water. The unfolding walls support two symmetrical upper walkways that first mount quickly but then are slowly lowered down as the walls open up.