New Yorkers can’t get enough of James Corner Field Operations with Diller Scofidio + Renfro‘s High Line as millions meandered along the refurbished rail tracks enjoying spectacular views of the skyline. And yet, the opening of the High Line in 2009 offered a mere preview of the project’s total grandeur as parts two and three of the 1.45 mile project were still to come. Today, the second phase of the High Line has opened to the public – a section which stretches from West 20th up to West 28th Street. This segment includes a hovering frame that will display people’s silhouettes against the evening sky, an elevated pathway which brings visitors to the level of the trees’ canopy, and a Great Lawn which will be perfect for sun-bathing and a summer time picnic.
After the break you can find a great set of photos from Iwan Baan, via the High Line Facebook Page, and some more information about the project.
Part Two has doubled the length of the existing park, totaling one complete mile of spectacular urban design with a “pathless” landscape according to DS+R.
“We like to think of it as a place where people revel in doing nothing, which is an anomaly for New Yorkers,” Elizabeth Diller told the NY Times. “It has an unscripted, unintended, unprogrammed timelessness. You just get lost in there.”
Visitors can access the second phase by way of entries located at West 23rd Street, West 26th Street, West 28th Street, and West 30th Street. All access points will be open daily during the public park’s summer operating hours, from 7:00 AM to 11:00 PM.