The history behind NYC’ Floating Park
source link: https://blog.usejournal.com/the-history-behind-nyc-floating-park-e5fe4ea912ad
Go to the source link to view the article. You can view the picture content, updated content and better typesetting reading experience. If the link is broken, please click the button below to view the snapshot at that time.
The history behind NYC’ Floating Park
How NYC’s Floating Park, Little Island, became an emblematic place
NYC’s floating park, the $260 million gift to the city from billionaire Barry Diller, opened at the end of May.
The concept of the park it looks like it is from the SF movies and amazed people from all around the world. The floating park is nothing like the world has ever seen before.
Little Island history
Little Island and Hudson River played an important role in NYC’s history.
During the early colonization of America, the land of Hudson River Park was the home of the Lenape tribe. The park was used as a seasonal encampment for hunting and fishing, in addition to conducting trade along the Hudson River by the Lenape.
Want to read this story later? Save it in Journal.
Hudson River waterfront was transformed during the 19th and 20th centuries, becoming a busy port.
Between 1910 and 1935, Pier 54 operated the British Cunard-White Star line, serving as a point of departure and return for trans-Atlantic ocean liner voyages. In 1912, survivors from the famed Titanic disaster arrived to safety at Pier 54 while aboard the RMS Carpathia rescue liner. — Little Island
The RMS Lusitania departed from Pier 54 and was sunk by German U-boats off the coast of Ireland five days later as of World War I, in 1915.
Even today, the steel archway at the foot of Little Island’s South Bridge entrance still remains from the Cunard-White Star building.
The pier eventually fell into disuse until the 1970s to the early 80s, when Pier 54–along with other piers south of Chelsea–became a safe haven for New York City’s growing LGBTQ community. Here, they could openly socialize without fear of harassment and discrimination. In 1986, Pier 54 became home to the annual Dance on the Pier event. For over 25 years, the event took place at the pier as part of the Pride festivities. Pier 54 eventually became part of the newly-formed Hudson River Park in 1998, where it also served as a venue for summer events and concert series. — Little Island
Recently, several piers along the Hudson, including Pier 54 were damaged by Hurricane Sandy in 2012.
But, in 2013, Barry Diller of the Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation, in partnership with Hudson River Park Trust leadership, decided to repair and revive Pier 54.
Barry Diller had the idea to reimagine an entirely new type of public space for New York, one that would create an immersive experience with nature and art.
Little Island concept
“What was in my mind was to build something for the people of New York and for anyone who visits — a space that on first sight was dazzling, and upon use made people happy.” — Barry Diller
The concept was the outcome of the collaboration of the UK-based Heatherwick Studio and the New York-based landscape architecture firm MNLA, led by Signe Nielsen.
Heatherwick Studio wanted to create something that included a new pier that could draw from the remaining wooden piles from Pier 54.
“My studio and I became interested in the remains of the old piers on the west side of Manhattan, where their top surfaces had long gone, leaving only hundreds of ancient structural wooden piles sticking out of the river.” — Heatherwick Studio
MNLA’s landscape design was created as the shape of a leaf floating on water.
“The pier’s landscape will be a sensory delight in all seasons and times of day.” — MNLA
Construction
The construction began in September 2017, when the plans for the pier were scrapped. In April 2018, the construction of the structure began and a symbolic cornerstone was laid in December 2018.
In 2019, the project was renamed Little Island. In May 2021, Little Island’s floating park was opened.
Little Island’s floating park
NYC’s floating park became an emblematic attraction to the city, catching the attention of tourists from all over the United States of America, but also from other parts of the world.
The park is modern, colorful, innovative, captivating, and will definitely catch your attention. The floating park has many green trees, flowers, and gardens, spaces for lounging and the view of the Hudson River is incredible.
In the park will be held many different events from now on.
The access in the park is free and it’s located at 13th St. within the four-mile-long Hudson River Park (Pier 55).
Sources:
Recommend
About Joyk
Aggregate valuable and interesting links.
Joyk means Joy of geeK