Phase 3 of the High Line, New York City’s ambitious landscape redevelopment project, opened on Saturday, September 20. Since 2006, the High Line has been converting abandoned elevated railroad tressles along 1.45 miles of Manhattan’s Lower West Side into a free public park that parallels the Hudson River.
The first two sections of the park already draw more than five million visitors a year, according Crain’s New York.
The $35 million Phase 3, known as High Line at the Rail Yards, broke ground September 20, 2012, and officially opened to the public on September 21, according to Friends of the High Line, the nonprofit organization that has raised most of the money for the project. This half-mile stretch runs from West 30th Street at 10th Avenue (previously the railway’s northern terminus) to West 34th Street at 12th Avenue, across from the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.
James Corner Field Operations is the High Line’s designer, working with Diller Scofidio + Renfro and Piet Oudolf.
The newest section—which curves around the 26-acre Hudson Yards real estate development—incorporates some of the old tracks and switches (made safe for pedestrian passage and play), as well as wild plant life.
The opening ceremonies included New York Senator Charles Schumer, New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer, High Line founder and president Joshua Davis, and actor Edward Norton, who is on Friends of the High Line’s board.
The finishing touch will be put in place next year with the installation of a short stub along 10th Avenue and 30th Street, according to the real estate website Curbed.
Related Stories
| Nov 18, 2014
Grimshaw releases newest designs for world’s largest airport
The airport is expected to serve 90 million passengers a year on the opening of the first phase, and more than 150 million annually after project completion in 2018.
| Nov 17, 2014
Nearly two years after Sandy Hook, the bloodshed continues
It’s been almost two years since 20 first-graders were shot and killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., but these incidents, both planned and random, keep occurring, writes BD+C's Robert Cassidy.
| Nov 17, 2014
Hospitality at the workplace: 5 ways hotels are transforming the office
During the past five years, the worlds of hospitality and corporate real estate have undergone an incredible transformation. The traditional approach toward real estate asset management has shifted to a focus on offerings that accommodate mobility, changing demographics, and technology, writes HOK's Eva Garza.
| Nov 17, 2014
Developments in 3D printing can assist architecture in the smallest details
Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have developed a way for 3D printed metals to be produced with an unprecedented degree of precision.
| Nov 17, 2014
A new BSL-3 public-safety lab debuts in Vermont
The laboratory will be used to perform a wide range of analyses to detect biological, toxicological, chemical, and radiological threats to the health of the population, from testing for rabies, West Nile, pertussis and salmonella to water and food contaminants.
| Nov 17, 2014
'Folded facade' proposal wins cultural arts center competition in South Korea
The winning scheme by Seoul-based Designcamp Moonpark features a dramatic folded facade that takes visual cues from the landscape.
| Nov 17, 2014
Workplace pilot programs: A new tool for creating workspaces employees love
In a recent article for Fast Company, CannonDesign's Meg Osman details how insurance giant Zurich used a workplace pilot program to empower its employees in the creation of its new North American headquarters.
| Nov 17, 2014
Mastering natural ventilation: 5 crucial lessons from design experts
By harnessing natural ventilation, Building Teams can achieve a tremendous reduction in energy use and increase in occupant comfort. Engineers from SOM offer lessons from the firm’s recent work.
| Nov 14, 2014
Bjarke Ingels unveils master plan for Smithsonian's south mall campus
The centerpiece of the proposed plan is the revitalization of the iconic Smithsonian castle.