Related Companies founder Stephen Ross has commissioned London designer and architect Thomas Heatherwick to design what could be, according to the Wall Street Journal, “one of the most expensive works of public art in the world.” Planned to be the centerpiece of Related’s Hudson Yards project in Manhattan’s West Side, the estimated $75 million artwork and its surrounding 4-acre public space aims to become “new icon for the city.”
Once complete, the Hudson Yards centerpiece and its neighboring Culture Shed, an expandable multi-use cultural venue designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, has the potential to “serve as a northern anchor for a new cultural corridor emerging along the West Side.” As WSJ describes, “Pedestrians would eventually be able to walk along the elevated High Line park from Hudson Yards through Chelsea's gallery district to [Renzo Piano’s] new Whitney Museum in the Meatpacking District, opening in 2015.”
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to integrate a new kind of public space into the fabric of the city and to add another layer to New York's rich cultural heritage," Heatherwick said in a statement confirming his involvement.
No design details have been released, however it is known that Heatherwick will work with landscape architect Thomas Woltz to design the 4-acre public plaza.
Reference: WSJ
