Photo: Design by Field Operations and Diller Scofidio + Renfro. Courtesy of the City of New York.
Final designs for New York’s High Line park were released on Wednesday. The park, which will run from Gansevoort Street to 34th street along the Hudson River on 1.45 miles of elevated rail tracks, is comprised of three phases. The first, which runs from Gansevoort Street to 20th Street is scheduled to be finished by the end of this year, and the second, which runs from 20th Street to 30th Street, should be finished by the end of 2009.
The new designs show details on the first phase of the park, including the “slow stairs” that allow for access at the southern end of the park, pathways comprised of concrete planks that allow for natural plant growth around the edges, a two-level sun deck, and an art installation space.
The designs carefully incorporate the existing elements of the site, including the elevation, the wild plants that grew while the tracks were abandoned, as well as its narrow width and its relation to the street. One of the design highlights is an area in which glass windows replace steel barriers, allowing High Line visitors a view of 10th Avenue, and pedestrians a view of the park.
Photo: Design by Field Operations and Diller Scofidio + Renfro. Courtesy of the City of New York.
When completed, the park should be a prime example of a public space which is both highly designed and user-friendly. The opening of the High Line park has not been scheduled, as the third phase is still in planning.
- In Winds of Winter, Midair Park Takes Shape [www.nytimes.com]
- High Line Design [Friend of the High Line]
