NEW YORK—The High Line Park, built on an elevated rail structure, just got a lot bigger with the opening of section two, effectively doubling the length of the park. An official opening ceremony was held on Tuesday morning.
Boasting spaces like a sun lawn perfect for sunbathers and picnic goers, and a skywalk through a magnolia mini-forest, the new section blends harmoniously with the old one while at the same time, adding another dimension to the park.
“I like the sense of wonder that you see on everyone’s faces as they’re walking around, and the ease, they’re really not rushing, it’s nice,” said Susan Stein, a local resident who was enjoying lunch and reading a book in the park on Tuesday. “It’s mature, it’s not brand new, it looks great, it looks very natural, natural to the other part,” added Stein.
“One of the things we put maybe a bit more of a punctuation on was the idea of social settings: generally we were maybe thinking this would be more of a promenading, strolling landscape, but it’s also become an amazing social vessel, and different people use it in different ways,” said James Corner, owner of the lead design firm James Corner Field Operations.
Boasting spaces like a sun lawn perfect for sunbathers and picnic goers, and a skywalk through a magnolia mini-forest, the new section blends harmoniously with the old one while at the same time, adding another dimension to the park.
“I like the sense of wonder that you see on everyone’s faces as they’re walking around, and the ease, they’re really not rushing, it’s nice,” said Susan Stein, a local resident who was enjoying lunch and reading a book in the park on Tuesday. “It’s mature, it’s not brand new, it looks great, it looks very natural, natural to the other part,” added Stein.
“One of the things we put maybe a bit more of a punctuation on was the idea of social settings: generally we were maybe thinking this would be more of a promenading, strolling landscape, but it’s also become an amazing social vessel, and different people use it in different ways,” said James Corner, owner of the lead design firm James Corner Field Operations.
“Some people use it for shade, ... some people use it for sitting in the sun, some people use it for privacy, to be alone, some people love to be part of a larger group—there are young people, old people, local people, global tourists; it’s an amazing diversity and range,” said Corner.
The park now runs from Gansevoort Street to West 30th Street; the dividing line between section one and two is West 20th Street. There is a thicket of foliage that serves as a transition between sections, and design features like the 23rd Street sun lawn and seating steps, and the wildflower field between West 26th and West 29th Street. Plants used in the landscaping include meadow sage, red feather clover, fox lily, and blazing star.
“It’s episodic in terms of the drama of movement, but it’s also episodic in terms of the theatricality of social settings and diverse range of spaces for a diverse range of people to occupy,” said Corner. When asked what he meant by episodic he elaborated:
“It’s like a book, it’s kind of [like] episodes, as you’re walking along you don’t see it all at once. Sometimes you walk into a garden or into a space and it’s all there and you can see it all. It’s not like strolling in a longer promenade, where every step you take is more or less the same; its rather strolling through a sequence of spaces that are very different.”
Friends of the High Line (FHL), a private organization founded in 1999 to advocate for the preservation of the High Line and its reuse as a park, is in charge of raising funds for and maintaining the park, although both the city and federal government contributed a substantial portion of the $150 million needed for construction, $100 million and $20 million respectively.
The park now runs from Gansevoort Street to West 30th Street; the dividing line between section one and two is West 20th Street. There is a thicket of foliage that serves as a transition between sections, and design features like the 23rd Street sun lawn and seating steps, and the wildflower field between West 26th and West 29th Street. Plants used in the landscaping include meadow sage, red feather clover, fox lily, and blazing star.
“It’s episodic in terms of the drama of movement, but it’s also episodic in terms of the theatricality of social settings and diverse range of spaces for a diverse range of people to occupy,” said Corner. When asked what he meant by episodic he elaborated:
“It’s like a book, it’s kind of [like] episodes, as you’re walking along you don’t see it all at once. Sometimes you walk into a garden or into a space and it’s all there and you can see it all. It’s not like strolling in a longer promenade, where every step you take is more or less the same; its rather strolling through a sequence of spaces that are very different.”
Friends of the High Line (FHL), a private organization founded in 1999 to advocate for the preservation of the High Line and its reuse as a park, is in charge of raising funds for and maintaining the park, although both the city and federal government contributed a substantial portion of the $150 million needed for construction, $100 million and $20 million respectively.
“When we were designing section one … there were a lot of challenges, and then when they went into the design of the second section, all those solutions to those problems had largely been worked out. So it left them a little bit more freedom to think creatively and not worry about the problems so much, and think about how you can create a really wonderful space,” explained Joshua David, co-founder of (FHL).
“Conceptually it’s a great effort, and from what I can see the execution thus far is good,” said Stephan Ott, who lives in New York for a week or two every month; though he expressed the wish for better clarity of access points, such as using colored dots to direct people to them.
Coinciding with the opening of section two were two installation openings: one was the sound installation “Digital Empathy,” which features computer-generated voices speaking from the water fountains, bathroom sinks, and elevators. Cheeky water fountain messages include, “Go out there and get some sun, you look a little pale,” and “You are clearly a very busy person, and you need adequate time for the rest and relaxation.”
The other opening was a sculptural piece by Sarah Sze, “Still Life with Landscape (Model for a Habitat),” a stainless steel and wooden element creation that will provide sustenance and shelter to wildlife.
Section three, the last and remaining section, is in negotiation between the city, FHL, and the landowners, among others.
“Conceptually it’s a great effort, and from what I can see the execution thus far is good,” said Stephan Ott, who lives in New York for a week or two every month; though he expressed the wish for better clarity of access points, such as using colored dots to direct people to them.
Coinciding with the opening of section two were two installation openings: one was the sound installation “Digital Empathy,” which features computer-generated voices speaking from the water fountains, bathroom sinks, and elevators. Cheeky water fountain messages include, “Go out there and get some sun, you look a little pale,” and “You are clearly a very busy person, and you need adequate time for the rest and relaxation.”
The other opening was a sculptural piece by Sarah Sze, “Still Life with Landscape (Model for a Habitat),” a stainless steel and wooden element creation that will provide sustenance and shelter to wildlife.
Section three, the last and remaining section, is in negotiation between the city, FHL, and the landowners, among others.
