The railroad overpass running through Manhattan was abandoned in the 1980s and by the beginning of the 21st century it was dilapidated and overgrown with wildflowers. Diller Scofidio + Renfro, which won first place in the competition for a park in Zaryadye this month, and landscape architects Field Operations have created a full-fledged public space there, while preserving that "industrial poetry" which was inherent in an abandoned flyover.
The first two phases of the project opened in 2009 and 2011, respectively. The hugely popular park has helped gentrify the surrounding neighborhoods: luxury hotels and lodging sit side by side with art galleries and trendy restaurants, and the new Whitney Museum of American Art, designed by Renzo Piano, will open soon.
The final stretch of the High Line overpass skirts the Hudson Yards, where a new mixed-development area will soon appear above the railroad tracks. The third phase of the park will generally be similar to the already completed parts, but there will also be a special element - the green amphitheater The Spur ("spur" or "spur"), which will allow New Yorkers right in the middle of the metropolis to experience complete immersion in nature.
The amphitheater with concentric rows of seating will be planted with forest grasses, ferns and perennials. Snake maples and forest nissa will grow along its upper edge, with views of the Hudson River in between. In addition to its recreational function, the amphitheater will serve as one of the entrances to the High Line, and a public toilet will also be located there.
The last section of the High Line will open in 2014, but The Spur will have to wait another year or two for completion.
