Architectural Research "New High Line Park Links Manhattan Streetscape"

New High Line Park Links Manhattan Streetscape

By Alexander Gault Manhattan has been so over-developed that it has reached the point where there is no room or tolerance for decay. The city, full of residential, commercial and market buildings, occupies the entirety of the island. From the West side to the East side thousands of buildings and streets cram into the available space to be apart of the urban experience. Pedestrians and automobiles try to co-exist as they difficulty navigate the bustling city. City government works diligently to improve the traffic system to serve the public. Still, no matter how much urban planning is done the city is full of Junkspace that does not go away. This space is what remains after modernization has run its course.

Koolhass describes it as, “the sum total of our current achievement” and when it looses purpose it sits there to rot photo 1.1 When a structure occupies space and cannot be used it is totally pointless. From 1980 to 2006, the elevated railway on the Lower West Side was Junkspace. The massive steel structure occupied a 1.4-mile stretch of potential developing space. It could not perform any task as it wasted away in isolation.

In 1990, a group of property owners with land under the line lobbied for the demolition of the entire structure. Instead of demolition, a few people saw an opportunity for preservation and reuse. Their way of seeing old space in new ways is critical for modern urbanization. In urban development open space may not be available. Landscape architect James Corner says that “these sites have become the hallmark of urban

1

Rem Koolhass “Junkspace,” 182.

1

regeneration.”2 He approaches them with the intellectual assurance of a philosopher and the political bravado of a power broker. Architects can re-imagine the existing landscape into anything. The New York High Line demonstrates how society can reconnect damaged infrastructure back into the city fabric, creating useful public space. In doing so there are different critical methods to reconnect with modern context. While re-using space, architects can determine what new purpose the structure should serve then how it gets its form. Many people believe the High Line was designed to experience nature and to take a break from the city. I believe architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro designed the park to serve the streetscape by connecting it with the common traffic pattern. This can reduce street congestion thus increasing the speed of traffic flow in the crowded city.

Originally, the High Line was critical to the ecology of New York. Built in 1930 it served the public by transporting meat and manufactured goods on elevated train tracks to not disturb the traffic on the streets. The previous way of navigating trains through the city on street level was very dangerous, sometimes leading to death. The New York streetscape is always overcrowded with automobiles and pedestrians. Building a superstructure thirty feet above ground was an ideal solution in 1930. Then the growth of interstate trucking in the 1950’s led to a drop in common rail traffic. Trucks could safely distribute products, so the megastructure turned to junkspace. There was no need for a set of delivery railroad tracks to run in Manhattan. The railway was closed and left un-kept for several decades. When a group of property owners with land under the line lobbied 2

Andrew Blum “The long view” 97.

2

for the demolition of the entire structure two citizens Joshua David and Robert Hammond opposed the movement. They were also residents of the neighborhood the High Line ran through and instead advocated for the Line’s preservation and reuse as public open space.

After much debate the useless railway was able to be made into a public park. After a design competition, plans were chosen and construction began on April 10, 2006. The park was designed by James Corner-landscape architect and Diller Scofidio + Renfro.

The park was deemed successful and is a great example of transforming dated and non-productive spaces into assets for contemporary life. “Radical adaptive reuse.”3 Before 2004, there was an immense metal relic totally blacked with decades of soot looming thirty feet high at points4. After construction there was the most popular tourist attraction and a bustling neighborhood. For over 30 years people only recognized the defunk railway as an architectural monument, never as potential open space. While the project started out about preserving an artifact, it shows how our society could try more to reuse existing structure for new practical purposes. In contemporary planning open space may not be available. Often the existing landscape is environmentally damaged and not open to the public. For the High Line the damaged space was a mile and half long track crossing over twenty-two blocks. It holds incredible potential with such crowded streets below. The long track runs parallel to New York City avenues. Pedestrians, bikes and cars all share the busy 10th Avenue. It became junkspace from traffic and the High

3 4

Effie Bouras “Intelligent design: finding new life for neglected spaces” 80.

Alex Ulam “Taking the high road” 62.

3

Line offers an alternative faster route. The old High Line occupied space but could not have been used by the public. Before renewal it was totally pointless and in the way. The goal of this modern park was to serve the public with a new purpose. Adding another link in the system benefits all people in the network. In modern urbanism it will often be necessary to see old space in new ways. The idea of converting an old urban railroad into public space is gaining currency in Chicago, Philadelphia, Jersey City, and Bethlehem.5 Architects can still preserve the history of an important landmark while creating new useful space. Besides railroads, any damaged space can be recycled into something that serves the public. When an urban structure has no function it should be made into a public place. The Freshkills Park Project turns the former world’s largest landfill into a productive park destination three times the size of Central Park.6 The form of the recycled megastructure does not necessarily have to be a park. Another example is the Yankee Stadium Redevelopment Project, where they are creating recreational playing facilities with all soccer, track and baseball fields.

The purpose of the structure does not matter as long as it is productive and useful.

Central Park’s intended purpose is to create vast green space one could get lost in. As a modern urban park, architects and planners wanted the High Line to be different while still creating a meaningful landscape. There is no precedent in the United States for transforming an elevated rail viaduct that runs through urban neighborhoods into a public

5 6

Effie Bouras “Intelligent design: finding new life for neglected spaces” 82.

Michael Silverberg “The High Line” 139.

4

park. In a city where natural environment is being irretrievably lost, people should strive for development of the natural environment in any form possible. Sufficient green space is critical to satisfy human needs. The High Line goes beyond just providing green space because it is also linked to the streetscape. The park is more beneficial to escape traffic than it is to experience nature. As New York City matures there will be more and more outdated infrastructure. Public parks started as a response to disintegrated urban landscapes, the consequences of industrialization, and accelerated urbanization.7 A person could escape the city by visiting the illusion of a natural landscape. Central Park is an example of the classical model of a public park with lots of scenic imagination. The High Line is a radical departure from that historic model. Its architecture unveils the clash between natural and urban settings photo 2. Rather than departing the city to experience a natural landscape, it simply acts as continuous green space right in the thick of the city. There is no escape, just a view from a different perspective.

The High Line is often regarded as a place to get away from the hectic city. This is probably due to all the fake, natural elements installed. Is the High Line really a place to experience nature though? The park could just be called an urban path to reduce traffic congestion. It simply allows pedestrians more speed with no automobile disturbance.

Either heading uptown or downtown there is a clear pre-determined route.

7

Carlo Gasparrini “The unexpected return of open spaces of Manhattan� 307.

5

The preservation of the rail was very important because it allowed for a fundamental space to emerge from nowhere. Professionals worked hard to get the space back, now the question was how could the track best serve the public? The moment you bring people up there, the entire ecosystem changes. Can there be a function that was as important as the meat distributor rail? When viewed as a pedestrian highway, the High Line could reach optimal use. Its function as a lush park to escape the city in nature was not the intended design of Diller Scofidio + Renfro.

Architects and planners designed a method to get from what it was before to something that is green, public and safe. When transforming an elevated railway, it is difficult to decide how can the structure be used when it held an original different function. Some people have reservations about attaching large staircases to the High Line and building a water feature on top of it. People feared a design so creative and innovative may change the line so much, you would not understand what it was before.

The finished system; part agriculture and part architecture, attempts to merge the elements of old and new into one simple gesture. The boundaries between greenery and pedestrian area simply disappear. Architects must plan specific methods for reconnecting the damaged infrastructure back into the city fabric. The new object can find its form either in the chaos of the Manhattan streetscape or individually as a separate destination.

Architects eventually took cues from the existing structure’s original purpose as use for transportation. The strategy was to interpret what was already there to translate it into a contemporary expression.

6

With twelve different entrances, each custom to its surrounding, the High Line is totally linked to the street below. It works as a fast alternative to traveling 10th Avenue.

The new High Line design incorporates many elements from the old railroad alongside the pedestrian path. The project attempts to hold a refined dialogue with the former railroad evoking images of old wooden tracks and steel. Amid the busy urban spaces it also recognizes the need for places of solitude and reflection. By realizing it is possible to control an individual’s space and that there is a connection between architecture and behavior, Scofidio could create a highly useful public space. These projects are started to serve the public first and foremost. Therefore they should be designed on the human scale. At times the High Line had the ability to create a sense of astonishment as pedestrians walk through the urban journey. One entry to the competition attempted imagery by “fusing time and space through iconic intensity.”8 From 720 contest entrants it was nearly impossible to understand how the old railway should interact with the Manhattan streetscape.9 Many architects designed extravagant structures that completely reshape the landscape. Field Operations, which surveyed the site, came to the conclusion that the ‘otherworldly’ atmosphere and ecological character of the overgrown rail track was worth keeping and trying to blend with the urban setting.

The narrative pedestrians would experience thirty feet above ground is what Scofidio and Renfro studied the most. They combined three different modes of work in their practice, “existing in undefined areas between the architectural profession, academic 8 9

Gavin Keeney “The highline and the return of the irreal” 17.

Gavin Keeney “The highline and the return of the irreal” 12.

7

studies and artistic research.”10 The plan focused on examining spatial conventions of everyday life, not on what plants should be included. After much consideration many different systems made their way onto the High Line rail. The final structure included multiple variations on ecological themes, such as a vegetal balcony, shade garden, sumac woodland, river overlook, butterfly garden, grassland preserve, sundeck, and a large outdoor event space photo 3. All of these themes are specific characteristics that work together in creating a continuous surface. Including these building techniques can make a place more comprehensible. Team 10 Primer believes society should, “develop the road and communication systems as the urban infra-structure. And to realize the implication of flow and movement in the architecture itself.”11 The railway was designed to channel pedestrians through unique spaces around the entirety of the path. By forcing pedestrians up against the side railing overlooking the street, the park creates a sense of connectivity to the urban environment below. Through the long 1.4-mile strip all distinctive sunny, shady, wet, dry, windy, and sheltered elements are involved. The park is more about showing the pedestrians a new perspective of the street than escaping it entirely.

Even elements like the benches and lounges emphasis the rail’s use as a continuous path. The benches appear to taper out of exposed plant beds and follow the direction of movement. They take cues from the paving system of hollow concrete planks that change grade. Also the chaise-lounges move on steel train wheels.

Pippo Ciorra “The High Line: James Corner Field Operations and Diller Scofidio + Renfro” 23.

11Alison Smithson “Urban Infra-structure” 51.

10

8

Then there is the 10th Avenue miniature amphitheatre. It is an open square with benches that looks through a glass window over the busy 10th Avenue. Elevated thirty feet over the street pedestrians are forced to see from a new perspective. A view like this can create a new sense of connectivity to your setting. It immerses you in the city instead of just elevating you above it.

Designers of the High Line understood and stressed the importance of controlling a person’s space. Successful modern architecture is planned on the smallest level of the individual. In this project dimension and scale were considered very important. There is a strong sense of human perspective for the entire stretch. Paths were planned to fit a variety of walking traffic types like wheelchairs and families. The High Line proves that mega-projects are not necessarily the solution to our cities; and that sometimes the small can be just as effective since it incorporates the human dimension. Lighting at night fits into the city context as it is installed under the railing to exaggerate the features in the dark. The path one travels down is straight and direct. There are few diverging pathways, forcing the pedestrians in only two directions. And with no intersections traffic flows continuously. The High Line is very linear. Much like 10th Avenue except without the automobile traffic. Another design feature that demonstrates the parks relation to the streetscape is the space allotted for interaction. Lots of open space without clutter allows for random events to take place. This is a fundamental occurrence in daily urban life.

Everything in the project was well considered. There is also space for people who have extra time to sit and relax. Side areas with seating and tables allow a pedestrian to take 9

lunch or coffee during their break. However, there is no secluded spot where one could sit in their own space. Pedestrians mostly walk up and down the path or sit along side it and watch others walk. Central Park is about experiencing nature while escaping the city.

The High Line is different because it does not seclude itself from New York City. It works with the city to be part of the urban setting.

The urban park is not like any other typical city park, yet its form remains original and significant to its location. Diller Scofidio + Renfro see the High Line not as an isolated structure. It is incorporated into the urban settlement below and it part of a greater entity, the city. They wanted to make one simple gesture on the Lower West Side that the residents of Chelsea could relate to. The structure functions nothing like the old railroad. It is not abandoned which completely changes the ecology of the area. The High Line creates a neighborhood identity that adds value to the area. Other great parks in the city such as Gramercy Park and Washington Square Park define their location the way the High Line will define Chelsea.

As the rail laid dormant, construction around the structure continued to grow. The Lower West Side of Manhattan developed into a great community with many prominent buildings. At the former block of the Meatpacking District, butchers and warehouses have been supplanted by trendy restaurants, galleries and boutiques. At the southern end of the High Line an old meatpacking plant is being demolished to make way for the Whitney Museum of American Art’s downtown branch, a Renzo Piano-designed building that will step down to meet the High Line. At the north end is the most remarkable cluster

10

of new buildings in New York: Frank Gehry’s distinctive IAC headquarters; Jean Nouvel’s Eleventh Avenue condo tower clad in glass with metal shutters. To the East, Neil Denari’s first building, HL23.12 The High Line may not have been responsible for creating this efflorescence but it will surely play a factor in the future finances of condos.

The park increased the value of surrounding land and attracted luxury real estate investors, who like to attach world-famous architectural names to their projects. The area of Chelsea is accepting to the new High Line because it helps connect their neighborhood and boost their economy. IAC headquarters made a commitment to move into the neighborhood and were adopting the High Line with that. “The High Line is part of the story that is Chelsea, that made the West Side really interesting to us.”13 The process of gentrification has become the general urban strategy and citizens generally support it.

An effective urban place should design space according to the people who occupy it. Subject and form are less important than setting. Emphasis can be placed on the siteplan as the neighborhood will come to shape its form. Site, history, context and ecology all play into the reuse of a public space. When determining what function the new space should have, take cues from what already exists. The best way to re-use space is by connecting it to other things. Then it can serve the public and not be junkspace. Too much of the built environment is not being utilized. Many of the renovations are obvious but cannot find adequate funding. Old space can be turned into anything at all that has a

12 13

Karrie Jacobs “Beyond the hype” 58.

Philip Nobel “High life on the high line” 68.

11

meaningful use. The High Line became a link in the city that connects the superstructure to the streetscape. The park was designed with lots of different elements for a variety things to go on. The narrative was based off the connection to urban life. The park was never a place to feel alone as there are no secluded meeting spots. Flow and movement define the form, and the furniture and pathways embody that idea. Careful study on public interaction creates an effective place for random communication.

The High Line will surely become an important public space, which gives us hope for the future of urbanism. It suggests unlimited opportunities for transforming eyesores into assets, for radical adaptive reuse.14 It is time to look at ugly, damaged infrastructure with new eyes. The design formula for the High Line could be adapted to many other situations. It says something profound that anything is possible. Since the very beginning, the High Line promoted informal links among people, intimacy among strangers and community. Can spatial design invite people to engage, connect and identify? By opening oneself towards otherness, one can oppose the predictable development of contemporary life as legitimate urban strategies.

14

Tim Richardson “Elevated NY landscapes� 27.

12

Photographs with Credit

Jonathan Flaum (1)

Valeria Sassanelli (2)

Aleksandr Bierig (3) 13

Chicago Style Bibliography Keeney, Gavin. 2004. The highline and the return of the irreal [High Line, New York City]. Competitions. 14 (4):12-19.

Gasparrini, Carlo. 2010. The unexpected return of open spaces of Manhattan. Monograph.It. (2):302-315.

The High Line [New York]. 1002. Dlle. 2:22-47.

Sassanelli, Valeria. 2010. Telling Manhattan walking on the High Line. Monograph.It. (2):316-327.

Ulam, Alex. 2004. Taking the high road: New York City's defunct High Line rail trestle is ready to be reinvented. Landscape Architecture. 94 (12):62.

Ciorra, Pippo. 2009. The High Line, New York - design: James Corner Field Operations and Diller Scofidio + Renfro. Domus. (931):20-28.

Bouras, Effie. 2010. Intelligent design: finding new life for neglected spaces. Modernism.

13 (4):78-82.

Wilson, Claire. 2010. Park it here! New York blooms with new green space; established parks get smart redesigns. Oculus. 72 (3):26-27.

Jacobs, Karrie. 2009. Beyond the hype: our columnist takes us on a walk on the High Line, one of the most eagerly anticipated new parks in many years. Metropolis. 28 (11):58.

Defunct rail on right track. 1985. Metropolis. 10 (4):12-13.

Blum, Andrew. 2008. The long view [James Corner]. Metropolis. 28 (4):92-100.

Silverberg, Michael. 2007. The High Line. Metropolis. 26 (11):139.

Steen, Karen E. 2005. Friends in high places: how a pair of self-proclaimed "neighborhood nobodies" saw an abandoned elevated railway and envisioned a new park. Metropolis. 25 (4):118-123.

Nobel, Philip. 2002. High life on the high line: the fight to save it puts into play slippery questions about the nature of authentic urbanism. Metropolis. 21 (9):68.

Bierig, Aleksandr. 2010. The high line and other myths. Log. (18):129-134.

14

Batlle Durany, Enrique, and Juan Roig Duran. 1996. Malniu, Pyrenaen: der Steinlinie entlang = Malniu, the Pyrenees: along the stone line. Topos: European Landscape Magazine. (15):15-18.

Adria, Miquel. 2009. NYC: High Line Park. Arquine: Revista Internacional De Arquitectura = International Architecture Magazine. (49):9-10.

David, Joshua, Robert Hammond, and Kristen Richards. 2008. So says... Joshua David and Robert Hammond, founders, Friends of the High Line [interview]. Oculus. 70 (4):2021.

High line opens: from abandoned infrastructure to elevated public park. 2009. Urban Land. 68 (7):21-22.

Bowring, Jacky. 2009. Lament for a lost landscape: the High Line is missing its melancholy beauty. Landscape Architecture. 99 (10):128.

Richardson, Tim. 2005. Elevated NY landscapes. Domus. (884):20-29.

Lynnette Widder, “The Central Park of Our Century: ‘Highline’ in New York,” Bauwelt 2006, (German Libraries Worldwide), 46-49.

Alison Smithson, ed. “Urban Infra-structure,” Team 10 Primer (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1968), 48-73.

Sigfried Giedion, “Architecture You and Me,” (Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press, 1958), 25-39, 48-51.

Rem Koolhass, “Junkspace,” October 100 (Spring 2002): 175-190.

15