Little Island on the Hudson River: Landscape or Waterscape?

The Little Island on the Hudson River is an engineered urban park that radically redefines the notions of landscape architecture. Parametrically modeled and locally fabricated, 132 concrete ‘tulip’ columns create an undulating platform that harbors nearly 400 species of trees, shrubs, grasses, and perennials floating over the river in the city of New York.  

In 2013, a little after Pier 54 was damaged by Hurricane Sandy, Heatherwick Studio was appointed to design a new pier by philanthropist Barry Diller and the Hudson River Park Trust. Over a period of eight years, this 2.4-acre green oasis was erected over Manhattan’s southwest riverside. With an outdoor amphitheater for around 700 people, a smaller performance space for 200, and a large plaza over the sculptural planters interlaced with curving pathways and viewing platforms, Little Island is more than a place of leisure — it is the land of transformation from the busy city into the lap of the Hudson River.

Landscape vs. Waterscape

The unique topography of the park was inspired by the structural remnants of former piers and the numerous wooden piles poking out of the river. The designers reimagined public spaces with the possibility of repeating piles to support a floating structure over the water and facing the horizon. The existing waterscape of piles thus became the concrete roots of the project, while the tessellating tulips transformed into gorgeous planters above. The rippling piles themselves become the deck. Approached by two pathways from the shoreline, the garden island is the newfound icon in New York City.

Beneath the raised piles, the waters stay ideal for marine life. The delicacy of the protected habitat and breeding ground for fish was respected by the sequential construction processes that caused minimal disturbance to marine life. As the lifted corner of the platform relishes an acoustically optimized amphitheater, ample sunlight reaches the marine habitat below. The undercrofts discreetly hide the green rooms while the people and wildlife open up to music, dance, theatre, comedy, art, and poetry.

Together with MNLA, the landscape consultants, Heatherwick Studio successfully demonstrates an unparalleled experience.

“Typically, pier structures are always flat, but we saw this as an unmissable opportunity to lift the surface to create a topography that would make a more dynamic social experience for visitors and give great sightlines for performing spaces and lookout points over the river and back towards the city.” - Thomas Heatherwick, Founder of Heatherwick Studio.

Parametric Modelling and Pre-Fabrication

The 132 columns were parametrically modelled with different angles at the perimeters of each planter in the tessellating rectangle. The engineering consultant, Arup, adopted advanced techniques of prefabrication for the smooth “tulips” with a local fabricator. The precast piles were then transported by boats and assembled on site.

These structural columns generate an exceptional geometric identity for the project. The complexity of the park’s contours achieved by a group of individually designed component piles adds a layer of organic beauty to the park. Originally envisioned as a singular sculpture, the Little Island takes the benchmark for landscapes and waterscapes to a level of intrinsic detailing and engineering intelligence.

“We were inspired by these piles and the civil engineering required to build structures that can withstand extreme river conditions. Could we make these the heroes of our project, rather than hiding them? The vision that’s been built is based on taking these piles and turning their tops into dramatic planters that fuse together to make a richly-planted undulating landscape.” says Thomas Heatherwick.

Ultimately, parametric scripting can be thought of as solving a multi-step puzzle, where the key to seeing the larger design emerges as each piece is carefully placed in its correct position, as is evident in the form of Little Island.

PAAcademy’s upcoming workshop, “Parametric Explorations of Suggestive Design,” focuses on the exploration of parametric design through the lens of inspiration and reinterpretation. Guided by the philosophy of "learning through imitation," the workshop will examine designs that are inspired by anything and everything—transformed from suggestive forms into unique creations.

Manhattan, Microclimate, and the Mosaics of Ice

The primary idea behind the tessellation in planning was inspired by the mosaics of ice that formed around the existing wooden piles in winter. Once the river freezes, pieces of ice float among the piles like artwork from nature. Each piece is unique, and yet together, they render a magical landscape above the Hudson. This is what stemmed into the concrete “tulip” piles of Little Island. In the warm summers and spring, the lush landscape provides a serene escape for New Yorkers from the hustle of the city, and in the autumn, they see the browning trees against the golden horizon. In the winter, they see the magical island in its truest form.

Little Island on the Hudson River Project Details:

Project Name: Little Island
Project type: Public Park
Client: Hudson River Park Trust (HRPT) & Pier 55 Project Fund (P55P)
Architect: Heatherwick Studio
Location: River Hudson, New York, US
Photography: Timothy Schenck, Angela Weiss, Getty Images, China News Service, Getty Images, Alexi
Rosenfeld, Getty Images,
Collaborators: Arup, Charcoal Blue, Steven Daldry, Scott Rudin, Kate Horton, MNLA, Mueser Rutledge Consulting Engineers, Hunter Roberts Construction Group
{Structural Engineering: Arup, Mechanical Engineering: Arup, Landscape: MNLA}