It was about a site of dilapidated development, highways and railways adjacent to the Hudson Rail Yards industrial area, which is planned to be the new residential and business center of Manhattan. By 2013, this area will turn into "Hudson Park and Boulevard" with an area of 1.62 hectares, while five teams of architects have made it to the final of the competition for the design of this recreational zone.
A group led by WORKac bridges Central Park and Bustling Times Square: green hills will hide underground cafes and other entertainment venues; the park will create a favorable environment for animals and birds, and elements of the rainwater collection system will also serve as outdoor furniture.
The West 8 team is proposing to create a "primeval landscape" using soil excavated from the pits of neighboring construction sites: this will include space for skateboarders, an art park, a children's play area, and a curved footbridge across the nearby freeway.
Toshiko Mori and her team used Union Square Park in Manhattan as a model, but instead of a regular plan, it is planned to create a more natural shape on the West Side, resembling a carpet. The luminaires will be fixed on cables over the heads of passers-by, and an S-shaped bridge will be thrown across the highway.
The plan by Enrique Norten and Hargreaves Associates describes the creation of an "ecological space" with chestnut groves and pine heaths. The lanterns will look like "light poles," and the footbridge across the highway will curve like a roller coaster track.
Catherine Gustafson and her associates proposed creating an "artificial terrain" with a winter garden and "prisms" for collecting solar energy, as well as wind turbines and chimneys.
UPD 2008-12-11: The winner of the competition was the team of Toshiko Mori - Michael van Valkenberg.
