New York City is full of energy and movement, but could always use more green space and parks to escape the hustle and bustle.
Little Island promises just that, with a fascinating design that is suspended off of the water outside Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood. Designed by Thomas Heatherwick, the unique design is another feather in the cap for this star architect, whose firm keeps creating new and innovative ways to improve the built landscapes around us.
132 massive planters rise like tulips out of the water, supporting an undulating landscape that will play host to walking paths, small wooded areas, as well as a performance space. Over 100 species of trees will inhabit Little Island, which adds 2.4 acres of greenery to the Big Apple.
We think it’s an amazing design, one that will bring a small bit of nature to the city that is generally defined by steel and glass. And far from just a concept, Little Island is well on its way to completion, with a finished timeline of fall 2021.
“It’s a joyous feeling to see Little Island rise up in the Hudson River, and now I can’t wait for New Yorkers and its visitors to cross the bridge, leave the boisterous city behind, and play, lay back and be stimulated every which way by the Island”
– Barry Diller, co-founder of Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation, project partners