Archinect - News

High Line founders release op-ed opposing final Hudson Yards development phase

2024-09-06T18:28:00-04:00

Related and Wynn’s new proposal would sweep away the years of civic engagement that led to a 2009 rezoning of the proposed development site. We have just one chance to get this right. Related and Wynn’s new plan fails the test of sensible and authentic urban design and must be fought with the same spirit that brought the High Line to life 25 years ago.

Leading with the claim that Related "wants to undo the agreement and rezone the site again", two founders of The High Line (Joshua David and Robert Hammond) say they are opposing the next phase of Hudson Yards’ redevelopment. The $12 billion plan, the details for which became a bit clearer on August 30th, would establish a hotel, casino, and office components with a 5.6-acre park over what is now the undeveloped Western Rail Yards at Eleventh Avenue and 33rd Street.

The agreement they're referring to pertains to the aesthetic agreement of any new developments with the existing character of the High Line. To that score, the authors say, "principal changes include much taller and wider buildings at an overwhelming scale, less accessible green space, more office space (in a city that has a glut), and less housing in a city that has a desperate shortage."

Iván Argote's viral new High Line plinth commission speaks to our impermanence as a species

2024-08-02T18:34:00-04:00

New York's High Line just debuted what promises to be a viral new public art installation from Iván Argote. From October on, the fourth High Line Plinth commission winner will present Dinosaur, a 16-foot hyperrealist pigeon sculpture made from cast aluminum. Argote says his work is a metacommentary on the impermanence of the human species.

Iván Argote, Dinosaur, Rendering courtesy of the artist

The bird itself was manufactured in Mexico and must make a pit stop in New Jersey on its migration journey before being installed on its five-foot plinth overlooking Tenth Avenue, a perch from which it will peer into the city until September of 2026. Pigeons, of course, are synonymous with New York City. One criticism might be that a dove would be more appropriate for a high-profile commission in the global media capital, given the many current conflicts ongoing across the world.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by The High Line (@highlinenyc)

Plans revealed for Hudson Yards Phase Two with several towers and a potential casino

2024-02-26T12:03:00-05:00

The next chapter in New York’s Hudson Yards has been revealed, with developers filing a bid for a potential mixed-use casino complex. Related Companies and Wynn Resorts submitted plans as part of an environmental impact process last week with the New York City Department of City Planning, which includes two scenarios for the plot directly west of The Vessel.

The proposed site is currently occupied by the West Side Yard and would see the Hudson Yards development expand west, separated from the Hudson River only by 12th Avenue. The plot would also be wrapped on three sides by the High Line, which already borders the south side of the existing Hudson Yards development.

In 2020, Related Companies offered an indicative insight into the architectural intent for the site when it published renderings to assuage concerns that a 700-foot wall would separate the development from The High Line.

Hudson Yards Phase Two proposed plan. Massing and plan credit: Related/NYC Planning

Both scenarios sub...

BIG completes award-winning The Spiral tower in Manhattan

2023-10-25T19:57:00-04:00

BIG has shared photos to follow the firm’s completion of the new 2.8 million-square-foot The Spiral office tower in Midtown Manhattan.

Located at the entrance to the High Line Park on 34th Street between 10th Avenue and Hudson Boulevard, the 66-story structure rises to a total height of 1,031.5 feet and offers the neighborhood skyline a distinctive new visual identity taken from its stepped silhouette and a ribbon of outdoor terraces that cascade down the setback facade to a street level podium.

Photo © Laurian Ghinitoiu

The design team, which also included Adamson Associates, made wind- and drought-resistant biophilic elements a central part of the building’s exterior, working to unprecedented new heights for commercial high-rises. Certain plant species were selected for their ability to flower as early as February, in combination with evergreen ivy varieties. The program also creates flexible workspaces and includes an exclusive clubhouse on the uppermos...

New York’s High Line opens two timber bridges by SOM and Field Operations

2023-06-23T08:00:00-04:00

The newest addition to New York City’s High Line has opened to the public. Named the Moynihan Connector, and designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill with James Corner Field Operations, the timber bridges form a link between a series of civic spaces from Midtown West to the West Village.

The Connector is composed of two bridges running above Dyer Avenue and West 30th Street, creating what the team calls an “elevated, accessible, and episodic urban journey from the doorstep of Moynihan Train Hall to the contemporary public spaces of Brookfield’s Manhattan West and the verdant gardens and historic structure of the High Line.” The larger bridge, named the Woodland Bridge, comprises a 340-foot-long structure of exposed weathered columns and angle bracket arms. Meanwhile, the 260-foot-long Timber Bridge comprises a glulam Warren truss made from sustainably sourced wood.

Image credit: Andrew Frasz

“The High Line – Moynihan Connector knits the city’s open spaces together — bringing greater ac...

London's Camden Highline proposal submitted for planning, set to open first phase in 2025

2022-05-19T18:51:00-04:00

London’s proposed Camden Highline has been submitted for planning. Led by the practice behind the New York High Line, James Corner Field Operations, and Camden-based firm vPPR Architects, the project will regenerate a disused railway viaduct to establish an elevated park that connects Camden Town to Kings Cross.

The master plan will create walking routes between local neighborhoods and inject needed green space across a mix of communities. It will feature gardens, walkways, seating areas, cafés, arts and cultural interventions, spaces for charitable activities, and play areas for children. The initiative also aims to boost the region’s biodiversity by providing wildlife habitats for birds, insects, and animals.

Previously on Archinect: James Corner Field Operations to lead design for new UK Highline

“We are extremely excited to share this design vision for Camden Highline,” said Lead Designer James Corner. “The design is intended to celebrate and amplify the unique characteristics ...

See the elevated pedestrian pathway that will connect the High Line to Moynihan Train Hall

2021-09-22T19:08:00-04:00

Governor Kathy Hochul has unveiled designs for an elevated pedestrian pathway that will connect the High Line to the recently opened Moynihan Train Hall. The $50 million project will also connect Chelsea with other West Side destinations like Hudson Yards, Manhattan West, Penn Station, and the Javits Center. The pathway is expected to be completed by Spring 2023.

Rendering courtesy of the Governor's Office

New photos of Thomas Heatherwick's now completed Lantern House

2021-09-20T18:35:00-04:00

Photographer Colin Miller has new images of the Thomas Heatherwick-designed Lantern House condominium building sitting along the High Line in New York’s tony Chelsea neighborhood.

The recently completed development was a bit overshadowed by Heatherwick Studio’s recent additions to the city, which includes the controversial Vessel at Hudson Yards and nearby Little Island floating park.

Now, as tenants officially begin moving into the designer’s first completed residential development, admire the sculptural form and unique modular bay window facade thanks to Miller‘s photos of the latest high-profile Heatherwick addition to the visual landscape of New York City.

Tokyo may get its own 'High Line'

2021-04-06T13:32:00-04:00

Tokyo’s Ginza shopping district is set to get an elevated “green way” similar to the High Line park in New York City [...], or Paris’ Promenade Plantée. The plan is to turn a 2km urban motorway known as the KK Expressway into the “Tokyo Sky Corridor”. The linear park will then form a green loop around the outskirts of Ginza.

The Tokyo metropolitan government has invited the public to submit feedback on the proposed Tokyo Expressway (KK Line) revitalization.

James Corner Field Operations to lead design for new UK Highline

2021-02-16T13:49:00-05:00

Following the five-month search for a design team to deliver London's new elevated park, the Camden Highline has selected James Corner Feild Operations to lead the design team. The firm will work in collaboration with vPPR Architects and a number of other creative specialists including London artist Hew Locke, community consultation organization Street Space, and Dutch garden designer Piet Oudolf, among others.

For the first stages of the new project, the design team will consult the local community and key stakeholders to create an inclusive plan for the new walkway before advancing it through the planning process.

"Camden is such an extraordinary place, a vibrant, hip, and diverse community that will soon enjoy an amazingly unique, public green thread that ties its various communities together in ways both revelatory and transformative, said James Corner of Field Operations in a statement. "We could not be more excited to work with residents and stakeholders to create a one-of-a-...

Hudson Yards repackages rendering to assuage park wall worries

2020-01-15T14:57:00-05:00

Following reports that plans for the western Hudson Yards site would include a massive 700-foot-long wall separating the development from the High Line, Related Companies, the developer behind the $25 billion mega-development, has published a rendering in an attempt to contradict those previous reports.

(3/4) Our plan has always been to build an open space along the lines of this years-old rendering and we are working to manage the technical challenges to achieve this. There has never been a wall along the High Line and there will never be a wall. pic.twitter.com/KNy9mBEJml
— Hudson Yards NYC (@_HudsonYardsNYC) January 15, 2020

Writing via official Hudson Yards Twitter account, project backers state: "We have always shared the vision that the Western Yard should include a great public open space. We don’t yet have a final design but have always understood clearly that our open space needs to work well with the High Line and the Hudson River."

View of the previously released designs...

700-foot wall could turn Hudson Yards into a real gated community

2020-01-10T16:28:00-05:00

Writing in The New York Times, architecture critic Michael Kimmelman sounds off against recently revealed intentions by Related Companies, the developer of Hudson Yards, that could wall off a semi-public park slated for the western end of the mega-project's second phase site.

The plan for the so-called Western Yard development was originally approved containing a green space that dipped down to meet the city's Hudson River edge, but is now potentially being changed to create a "man-made promontory" that could limit visual connections between the High Line and the park, potentially cementing the district's already strong reputation for existing as a "quasi-gated community" in the heart of Manhattan.

Describing rumors of the changing design, Kimmelman writes, "The developer has recently been talking about elevating the yard’s deck several stories to fit a parking garage underneath," adding, "the site would no longer decline toward the river but rise up, as it moved east to west, cre...

Heatherwick Studio releases new interior visuals of Lantern House

2019-12-05T18:19:00-05:00

Debuting his first residential building in the U.S., the London-based designer has released more visuals for the site-specific sculptural glass lobby pavilion within the Lantern House.

Aimed at merging sculptural forms with a homely appeal, Heatherwick and his team intend for the lobby of Lantern House to create a space "minimizing corners and edges to develop seamless transitions from the street to the indoors while offering unbostructed views of the surround outdoor courtyard."

Lantern House Lobby. Rendered image courtesy of Related Companies

Rendered image courtesy of Related Companies

Heatherwick shares, "People love to live in memorable places. As the High Line’s amazing riveted steel structure goes straight through the middle of our site, we knew we mustn’t miss the chance to borrow all its texture and character to make an idiosyncratic arrival experience for the building’s residents. To not compete with the soulful materiality of thi...

New renderings of Thomas Heatherwick's High Line condo towers, Lantern House

2019-10-08T13:46:00-04:00

The Related Companies has released new renderings and a new name for Thomas Heatherwick’s High Line project at 515 West 18th Street: Lantern House. The pair of residential structures is located along Tenth Avenue between West 18th Street and West 19th Street and flanks both sides of the High Line [...]. The development is Heatherwick’s first residential project in New York City and in the United States. SLCE Architects is the architect of record.

Thomas Heatherwick is expanding his foothold in New York City: after creating quite a stir with the Vessel at Hudson Yards and the under-construction floating Pier 55 park, the London-based studio is teaming up with developers Related Companies again for the practice's first residential project on this side of the Atlantic, called Lantern House.

Prices for the 181 residences will start at $1.7 million for a one-bedroom unit, reports NY YIMBY.

Rendering courtesy of Related Companies

The High Line opens its newest and final section, the Spur

2019-06-12T15:02:00-04:00

The widest open space of the High Line opened [...], marking the completion of the wildly popular elevated park. A 16-foot bronze sculpture by Simone Leigh anchors the new section, called the Spur, which offers vistas in every direction. The Spur is a 420-foot section that extends over the intersection of 10th Avenue at West 30th Street.

"The design of the Spur has gone through many iterations over the years: from theater, to garden, to woodland, to event platform, to an immersive ‘bowl,’ among others," said James Corner, who led the design of the Spur, as well as other sections of the High Line, in collaboration with Diller Scofidio + Renfro and Planting Designer Piet Oudolf.

View this post on Instagram “Brick House”.
A post shared by Timothy Schenck (@timothyschenck) on Apr 7, 2019 at 3:12pm PDT

"But we ended up with the best solution, typical High Line: tough, simple, and authentic. Leaving the large lofted space of the Coach Passage, you enter the Spur through a lush woodland, which opens into a large clearing with large-scale artwork on the Plinth. This dramatic space is flanked by generous seating and overlooks and immerses you in the massive scale of the surrounding city."

"The Spur opens new vistas to and from the city and visually reconnects the High Line back to the 10th Avenue Overlook...

Sales of High Line condos at Zaha Hadid's 520 West 28th Street sluggish

2019-03-22T13:58:00-04:00

The high-end condo building at 520 W. 28th St. along the High Line that the company completed roughly two years ago appears so far to be a rare bust. According to property records, only 16 of the building's 39 units have sold, a roughly 40% sell through that shrinks to an even smaller percentage when measured by square footage. That's because the building's largest and most expensive apartments, including its three penthouse units, all remain unsold.

How 'bout this one? Nothing? Photo: Hufton+Crow.

Diller Scofidio + Renfro's highly anticipated Shed announces April opening

2019-01-09T15:26:00-05:00

One of 2019's most anticipated buildings, the Shed, has announced it will launch its opening season on April 5th, 2019. The new art center—designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro with Rockwell Group in a collaborating role—will offer interdisciplinary programming, hosting exhibitions, lectures, and performances premiering works in the performing arts, visual arts, and popular culture.

“We have built a home where established and emerging artists working in all disciplines can create new work in ways that we cannot even imagine,” said Alex Poots, Artistic Director and CEO of The Shed. Blending genres and disciplines, the first year of programming will see lectures by Boots Riley, the filmmaker behind Sorry to Bother You; a Björk concert directed by John Tiffany of the broadway play “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”; and a kung fu musical featuring songs by Sia and Arca.

In addition, the Shed will also undergo a name change. Due to a generous $75 million donation and his role in helpin...

‘Solar-carving’ facade is complete at Jeanne Gang’s High Line tower

2018-12-20T14:24:00-05:00

Jeanne Gang‘s 12-story office building on the High Line has earned itself the nickname Solar Carve tower for its gem-like glass facade that was “sculpted by the angles of the sun” in order to eliminate shadows. And now, eight months after topping out, the building’s signature glass curtain wall is complete, just in time to welcome tenants early this spring.

The High Line Plinth will showcase public art as a gathering spot in the park’s newest section

2018-12-10T16:43:00-05:00

The Spur, the last section of the High Line, extending east along 30th Street and ending above 10th Avenue, is scheduled to open in 2019. Unlike other sections of the park which are more linear and perfect for strolling, this section will feature a large-scale plaza for public programming and art and areas for seating and gathering. Anchoring the new section will be the High Line Plinth, one of the only sites in New York City with the purpose of featuring a rotating series of new contemporary public art commissions.

Image by James Corner Field Operations and Diller Scofidio + Renfro, courtesy of the City of New York.

Via Friends of the High Line

Image by James Corner Field Operations and Diller Scofidio + Renfro, courtesy of the City of New York.

The concept was inspired by the Fourth Plinth in London’s Trafalgar Square. Artists will have a unique platform for inspiring the public due to the scale and high visibility the new addition. Surrounded by open space with sweeping vistas all a...

Diller Scofidio + Renfro present "The Mile-Long Opera" along the High Line this fall

2018-07-09T14:45:00-04:00

Diller Scofidio + Renfro together with Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Lang present The Mile-Long Opera: a biography of 7 o’clock, a 5 night series of performances taking place along the High Line. Featuring 1,000 singers from across NYC, this extensive community engagement initiative will allow audience members to actively participate among choral work throughout the park.

Singers rehearsing for the The Mile-Long Opera. Image: Luis Paez.

Elizabeth Diller explains, “After working on the design of the High Line for over a decade and witnessing the rapid transformation of the surrounding area, I thought a lot about the life cycle of the city—its decay and rebirth—full of opportunities and contradictions."

The performances will take place from October 3-7, 2018. Admission is free, however advanced tickets are required and will be available at milelongopera.com starting September 5.

Get a first look at the amenities at Bjarke Ingels’ High Line towers

2018-06-26T20:14:00-04:00

Developer HFZ Capital gives us our first view of the amenities at Bjarke Ingels’ High Line-facing XI condo/hotel project. See renderings of the swanky amenity space located within the development’s skybridge. The double-height podium bridge, which connects the asymmetrical, twisting towers, will have a retractable movie screen, private wine tasting room, bar, and library.

Rendering by Dbox for HFZ Capital

Zaha Hadid Architects design H-Line hat for Friends of the High Line fundraiser

2018-06-12T15:26:00-04:00

It's only been a few months since Zaha Hadid Architects' 520 West 28th development officially opened in Manhattan, and with its photogenic steel-and-glass split level facade, the 11-story condo mid-rise has quickly become a popular landmark of the adjacent High Line park.

520 West 28th, ZHA's first project in New York City. Photo: Hufton+Crow.

For an upcoming Hat Party-themed fundraiser event, hosted by Friends of the High Line, Patrik Schumacher and his team have fired up the parametric design engines one more time and created the head covering complimenting the building, the H-Line.

Photo: Luke Hayes

"The fluid chevrons of 520 West 28th’s façade weave up the building, conveying its split levels and demarcating each residence within," explains the design description. "The H-Line hat echoes these chevrons, weaving around the wearer with open and closed forms."

Photo: Luke Hayes

Project Details:
Designer: Zaha Hadid Architects
Design: Patrik Schumacher
De...

Bjarke Ingels reveals news renderings of twisting High Line condo ahead of May sales launch

2018-04-20T17:26:00-04:00

Ahead of the May 7th sales launch, Bjarke Ingels and developer HFZ Capital have released several new renderings of the Eleventh, or the XI as it’s been branded. The West Chelsea hotel/condo project is notable not only for being Ingels’ first NYC condo project but for its asymmetrical, twisting silhouette. And in the new renderings, we’re able to get a better look at the pair of towers and their skybridge, along with, for the first time, the central courtyard and an apartment interior.

Renderings via Dbox for HFZ Capital Group

Jeanne Gang’s High Line ‘Solar Carve’ tower tops out, see new renderings and photos

2018-04-16T10:09:00-04:00

Formerly known as the Solar Carve tower, the new High Line-hugging commercial building by Jeanne Gang has officially topped out. The 10-story glassy building was shaped by the firm's strategy of studying the sun's angles to prevent shadows but increase natural daylight and view inside. Get a better look in the new renderings and construction photos released by developer Aurora Capital.

New photos reveal the beauty of Zaha Hadid Architects' completed 520 West 28th Street facade

2018-03-15T14:34:00-04:00

Zaha Hadid Architects have released new Hufton+Crow photographs of the recently completed 520 West 28th Street development—and they're pretty stunning.

Standing smack adjacent to Manhattan's famed High Line, the 11-story residential mid-rise is certainly a formidable first project in New York City for ZHA. Since we published initial renderings back in 2013, readers speculated about the quality of the highly animated facade, and these new photographs allow a good glimpse of the impressive workmanship that went into hand-brushing and hand-tinting the curvy steel exterior.

The facade reveals the 21 interlaced split levels in a dramatic fashion, echoing the multiple layers of civic space on 28th Street and the High Line, according to the architects.

The list of amenities and other luxury goodies includes Boffi kitchens by Zaha Hadid Design, private elevator lobbies, sculpture garden, 25-yard sky-...

The Shed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro and Rockwell Group takes shape on the High Line

2018-03-09T19:12:00-05:00

Designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro in collaboration with Rockwell Group, The Shed will open to the public in spring of 2019 with commissioned programs filling its expansive multi-use hall, galleries, and theater situated along NYC's High Line.

The Shed rendering, by Diller Scofidio + Renfro. Image: Diller Scofidio + Renfro.

The Shed is a 200,000-square-foot structure that can physically transform to support ambitious ideas across many disciplines. The eight-level base building includes two expansive, column-free galleries, a 500-seat theater that can be subdivided into even more intimate spaces, event and rehearsal space, and a creative lab.

The Shed extendable shell rendering, by Diller Scofidio + Renfro. Image: Diller Scofidio + Renfro.

A movable outer shell can double the building’s footprint when deployed over the adjoining plaza to create a temperature-controlled space named The McCourt. The space will be able to house large-scale performances, installations, and events for a...

Harvard GSD awards The High Line with 2017 Veronica Rudge Green Prize in Urban Design

2018-02-21T15:47:00-05:00

Harvard GSD awarded the 13th Veronica Rudge Green Prize in Urban Design to The High Line in New York. The Green Prize committee awarded the $50,000 prize to the Friends of the High Line for their continued stewardship behind the project, which has long been hailed as a model example of urban revitalization and collaboration.

In 2004, the Friends of the High Line and the City of New York selected James Corner Field Operations, Diller Scofidio + Renfro, and Piet Oudolf to design the linear public park. Stretching a mile and a half on a freight rail 30 feet above Manhattan's streets, the “floating promenade” welcomes over 8 million visitors and hosts over 450 public programs every year.

Photo: Timothy Schenck, via The High Line/Facebook.

In selecting the winner, the 2017 Green Prize jury traveled to all the finalist projects. They chose to award The High Line “not only for its exceptional design quality, but also because it was a cooperatively-orchestrated, multifaceted endeavor in wh...

Watch the Shed slide along the High Line

2017-08-17T13:53:00-04:00

In its scale, this faintly quaint, eloquently designed contraption aspires to conjure up the spirit of those 19th-century exemplars of elegant engineering like the Brooklyn Bridge or the Eiffel Tower: industrial-era monuments of structural form, both necessary and sufficient, ingenious but not space age, encapsulating the aspirations of a city.

While the Shed, an art and performance space designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro in collaboration with Rockwell Group will be in construction for at least another year, the structure is already capable of conducting its five minute moving act along the High Line. Weighing in at 8 million pounds, it glides on a half-dozen exposed steel “bogies,” or wheels, six-feet in diameter, 'with tapered bearings so meticulously engineered that the system requires just six 15-horsepower motors'.

When opened, the shell will drape over the Shed’s sprawling plaza at Hudson Yards, which can then be made into a movie palace or a gallery for art or a theater with bleacher seats — a flexible new 17,000 square foot public space for New York at what promises to be one of the city’s busiest pedestrian intersections after all the commercial skyscrapers around it are built.

Camden Highline gets backing from London Mayor

2017-07-28T02:36:00-04:00

Another day, another city, another high line—this time in London. While in America, we use crowdfunding to help supplement health care costs or to actualize an invention, in England, Spacehive is using this form of alternative financing to help back projects that make local places better. Think kickstarter, but for place-making. Projects range from a 90m temporary water slide in Bristol to a Library of Things in Southeast London where one can rent a violin or camping gear alongside their books. Among such proposals, is a 0.8km garden walk on a disused elevated railway line. Its project title—Camden Highline.

The project plans to transform the obsolete tracks into a new type of green infrastructure for walking and cycling. They are currently seeking £37,412 in order to cary out a feasibility study, including site appraisals and surveys. Thus far, the project has raised 93% of its funding goal to the thanks of 249 backers, including Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan. Khan spoke of the pro...

Crowdfunding campaign launched for Camden Highline

2017-06-26T12:27:00-04:00

A crowdfunding campaign has been launched for the latest civic development in North London; the Camden Highline. For years, the disused railway has been talked about among local residents, with many wanting to see a little bit of New York in Camden Town.

Image Courtesy of Camden Town Unlimited

Since 2016, Camden Town Unlimited have been working with Network Rail to secure the 18-metre wide disused railway line, which runs for almost a kilometre between the beloved, vibrant Camden Market and the newly developed Kings Cross area. The initial ambitions for the project include creating a space which is accessible to all and will provide a home for the arts, festivals, and live performance, as well as ecological and educational benefits.

Image Courtesy of Camden Town Unlimited

Using the famous New York High Line as a precedent, this crowd-funded project will initially work on the existing infrastructure, workshops, events, and feasibility works. The funds raised from the campaign run on ...