The High Line Greenspace Opens in NYC

Very exciting news! After 10 years in development, the High Line public space has officially opened!

The High Line was originally built in 1934 as an elevated freight traffic rail running through Manhattan to export the transport of goods throughout the west side of Manhattan in New York. The rails were abandoned in 1980 and left untouched for years.  The rails seemed destined for demolition until Joshua David and Robert Hammond came around. Perhaps inspired by the plants that had taken root to amongst the heavy industrial rails turning it into a pastoral landscape in the midst of skyscrapers, Joshua and Robert recognized the potential of the space, not as the eye sore real estate developers claimed it to be but rather an opportunity to revitalize the neighborhood by creating a dynamic green space lofted above the city.

They believed the1.5 mile stretch was a vital public space worth fighting for, so they founded Friends of the High Line to raise awareness, support, and to launch their campaign to save the High Line.  ‘Friends’ like Diane Von Furstenburg, Trina Turk, Anya Hindmarch, Zero+Maria and Rag & Bone lent their support, their celebrity and, recently, their artistic talents in creating Limited Edition High Line designs to raise money to manage the maintenance and operation costs of the park.

They hired the brilliant architectural design firm of Diller, Scofidio and Renfro to take on the challenge of reinventing the narrow meandering and unconventional space. True visionaires, they are renowned for their success with the new ICA building in Boston and the innovative redesign of the Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln, the firm is incredibly good at integrating architecture and design with the public, making a building interactive not just to those inside but to the pedestrian and physical landscape surrounding the building.  The landscape they envisioned for the High Line was no different.

Diller, Scofidio and Renfro invented a new type of paving system that echoed the deserted rails of the High Line. The staggered pavers taper towards the ends urging  nature plays its’ part; as the grasses grow to fill in the gaps,  the pavers seemingly erode away. The footpath, itself  is scattered with benches, lounge chairs, water features all tied together with the work of landscape  architects James Corner Field Operations and Piet Oudolf.  Windows overlooking bustling streets encourage a dialogue between the park with the trafficed streets below preserving the High Line’s legacy as an elevated escape from the busy traffic below.

Update: July 13, 2009 – A little High Line controversy, is it or isn’t it green?