19 June 2007
I have very little time this morning to get this post up, so please excuse my brevity and bad grammar. This is the High Line (seen above), a multi-mile strip of elevated railroad track running straight through some of Manhattan’s hottest neighborhoods. It was originally used as a means to transport goods out of factories and the Meat Packing District, but for a long time now it has been sitting idle and growing weeds. Few people ever took notice for a long time, until the real estate market in the area skyrocketed. Then, developers looked at this land as the ultimate opportunity to tear down the High Line and build condos like crazy.
At the same time the developers were licking their chops, along comes a group of very influential neighbors (called Friends of the High Line) who have been in love with the High Line and would do everything to keep it. They, in fact wanted to go further and rehabilitate it. So now, one competition and several thousand hours of community input later, and we have what looks to be the High Line beginning to transform under the design of Diller Scofidio + Renfro (see rendering below).
I was over at the High Line a couple of weeks ago, and change is apparent. There are several potions of the track that are sporting new paint jobs. There are also a number of new construction stairs up to the High Line. Outside of this, nothing was apparent from the street. What was apparent was developers embracing the High Line as a civic amenity unlike any in the country. The first development to respond with a bold statement has been the Standard Hotel designed by Polshek Partnership. The day I walked by, all I could see was this curving concrete wall on one side of the HL tracks and a massive truss bridging the High Line.
I looked into the project more and dug up this rendering of the Standard Hotel. I will reserve judgment of the design for now, but the project looks pretty nice to me, so far. Also, judging by the Standard Hotel’s other properties across the country, this will be opulent, fun, dramatic, and everything else you would want in a rich person’s hotel. I’m not rich, so I will never stay here, but I’m looking forward to having a drink while I look over the green fields of the High Line.
For more information, check out these links:
- www.thehighline.org
- Polshek Partnership website
- Diller Scofidio + Renfro website
- Curbed on the Standard Hotel
- Google Map Street View of the Standard Hotel
- The Standard Hotel Chain
Categories: Architecture | New York Building Guide 2007
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Comments: 2 Comments
July 6th, 2007 at 7:30 pm
ATT PASSIONATE MANHATTANITES,
YES,THE STANDARD DESIGN IS PROFOUND AS IF IT WERE ACOMBINATION OF THE PAST AND FUTURE…
BUT IF YOU SEE THE CHRONILOGICAL VIDEOS CAREFULLY RECORDED FROM MY HIGHLINE OUTDOOR PATIO …THAT IS 5 FT AWAY FROM THE FUTURE ELEVATED PARK …YOU WILL WITNESSS THE 2 1/2 YEAR OF POUNDING /BANGING/DUST
ALL CAUSED FROM THE WELL THOUGHT OF DEMOLITION / EXCAVATION AND FOUNDATION “SQUAD”
PLEASE WALK PASSED LITTKE WEST 12TH ST AND VISIT UNWANTED DESIGNER CRACKS IN THE “HISTORIC ASTOR BUILDING”THAT WERE SUSTIANED …ALL CAUSED FROM THE CARELESS/SELFISH GREED FOR NEW TERRITORY
ANDRE BALAAZ STATED IN THE VALLAGER NEWS ONE YEAR AGO …HE WOULD NOT USE MACHINERY THAT WOULD CAUSE HARM TO THE “OLD BUILDINGS”ON LITTLE WEST 12TH ST
WELL I WOULD LIKE TO MEET MR BALAAZ AND BRING HIM ON A REALITY TOURAND SHOW HIM THE DAMAGE HIS PROJECT HAS CAUSED THE ADJACENT BUILDINGS ON LITTLE WEST 12TH ST.
I HAVE ASKED THE CONSTRUCTION G.C. TO PLEASE NOT TO POUND THE OLD 12 TO 15 INCH CONCRETE SLAB THEY SAID WE WILL NOT BANG THA CONCRETE…SEVERAL M INUTES LATER WHEN I WOULD LEAVE…AND COME BACK TO VIDEO…THE BANGING WOULD START…THEY THOUGHT I WAS GONE…BUT I RETURNED DUE TO MY INSTINCT…THAT I8S WHY I INVITE THE COMMUNITY BOARD AND ALL TO SEE THE TRUTH…AND NOT HE SAID SHE SAID.
PLEASE STAY TUNED FOR A VIDEO SHOW THAT WILL LET YOU KNOW..WHO CARE AND WHO JUST TALKS IN DESIGNER TOUNGUE…ITS A SHAME THE WAY PEOLPE
CAN USE THIER P.R TO MAKE THEM LOOK GOOD..
July 18th, 2007 at 8:24 pm
ATT EDITOR OF WEBSITE
MY JUL 6TH 2007 COMMENT IS NOT READABLE PLEASE MAKE LETTERS AT LEAST 10 POINT SO READ MAY SEE WHAT I WROTE RE:HIGHLINE AND STANDARD HOTEL RE:CRACKS THA K YOU