Work progresses on Thomas Heatherwick ‘s design for the 2.4-acre Hudson River park at Pier 55 in Manhattan’s Chelsea. More trees and greenery have been delivered and planted across the undulating mass of reinforced concrete and steel.

Formerly called Pier 55, the project is now named Little Island, which will be managed by Hudson River Park Trust (HRPT). The project transforms a former industrial jetty into idyllic public parkland, at a cost of $250 million.

Designed by Heatherwick Studio, the offshore park will feature 3 outdoor performance spaces, including an 800-seat amphitheatre, as well as numerous pathways and viewing platforms. New York landscape architects MNLA are collaborating on the landscape planning, which will bring together art and nature in an immersive experience.

The project is a result of a 2013 design competition chaired by chaired by Barry Diller and Diane von Furstenberg.

Working with the New York firm Standard Architects, Heatherwick determined to leave the decayed wooden piles in place, lofting the undulating park over them. The varying heights of the new concrete piles—the tallest reaches 62 feet above the Hudson—should allow sunlight to reach those very habitats.

Engineering firm Mueser Rutledge designed the 267 piles from its New York office, then sent the digital files over to Coastal Precast’s Chesapeake, Virginia, factory for production. Upon fabrication, the piles were delivered by barge to Pier 55 and slowly driven into the bedrock over the better part of a year. Gaps were left in the installation period to accommodate seasonal fish migration.

The Fort Miller Company and two of its subsidiary companies out of Greenwich, New York fabricated the tulip pots (which actually comprise several distinct concrete “petals”). Hundreds of unique molds were needed to form the pot modules and scores of steel plates to fasten them together (in groups of four).

Little Island is accessed via two doc-like pathways connecting back to the New York City shoreline, the structure comprises some 132 mushrooms shaped-concrete columns that rise above the water, creating a new topography.

Conceived as a leaf floating in the water, the pier contains unexpected topography that frames views, defines landscaped spaces, and provides resilience against climate change.

The lifted corners of the pier create distinct microclimates that reveal themselves through color, texture, light, and shadow. Whether meandering along paths, stairs, or boulders scrambles, the eye is at times directed downward to the rich palette of plants or outwards.

Upon completion, Little Island will be a maritime botanic garden with 35 species of trees, 65 species of shrubs, and 270 varieties of grasses, perennials, vines, and bulbs, many of which have been selected for their fragrance and attractiveness to birds and pollinators.

The landscape is one of sweeping swaths of textures and seasonally calibrated color themes punctuated by magnificent trees.

Architects: Heatherwick Studio
Architects of Record: Standard Architects
Landscape Architects: Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects, PC. (MNLA)
Client: Hudson River Park Trust
Engineers: Mueser Rutledge