Who said that trespassing on the railway is always forbidden? Who said that the borderlines in our cities are all unsurmountable? Luckily, sometimes architecture give us the possibility to overstep the limits and daydream, transforming neglected and abandoned areas in lively and wonderful places.
The The High Line is a public park built on a historic freight rail line elevated above the streets on Manhattan’s West Side. It runs from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District to West 34th Street, between 10th and 12th Avenues. The third and northernmost section on the park, High Line - The Rail Yards , now opens to the public.
The High Line’s planting design is inspired by the self-seeded landscape that grew on the out-of-use elevated rail tracks during the 25 years after trains stopped running. The species of perennials, grasses, shrubs and trees were chosen for their hardiness, sustainability, and textural and color variation, with a focus on native species. Many of the species that originally grew on the High Line’s rail bed are incorporated into the park’s landscape.
The High Line design is a collaboration between James Corner Field Operations (Project Lead), Diller Scofidio + Renfro, and Piet Oudolf. Converting each section of the High Line from an out-of-use railroad trestle to a public landscape entailed more than two years of construction per section in a multi-step process.
Let's take a walk!
Photo © Friends of the High Line
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