Construction Continues on ‘Little Island,’ Thomas Heatherwick’s Pier 55 Park in Chelsea
The Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation has announced a new name for Thomas Heatherwick’s 2.4-acre Chelsea park on Pier 55: “Little Island.” Work is continuing on the sculptural Hudson River promenade, and progress can be seen along Hudson River Park beyond the large steel frame of the old Cunard Pier 54. The funnel-shaped concrete pots are mostly in place, while a large amount of steel rebar and building materials are being laid on top. These will form the floor underneath a rolling terrain of landscaped hills, an amphitheater, and abundant greenery. The park is being built with a total of 132 piles that will hold each section 15 to 62 feet above sea level. Work is being managed by the Hudson River Park Trust (HRPT), and Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects, P.C. is designing the landscaping, which will have over 100 species of trees and shrubs.
