A Sculpture Garden Next to the High Line

On Saturday I gave an architectural walking tour of the High Line, the first time I'd given the tour since the fall. Since development along the elevated park continues at a speedy pace, I walked the park early to apprise myself of anything new. What stood out the most was a small gallery building by studioMDA under construction right next to the park on West 27th Street, embraced by Zaha Hadid Architects' 520 West 28th Street. It is one of a number of galleries being created by Related Companies, developer of the ZHA condo building, and will house, according to 6sqft, the Paul Kasmin Gallery. Construction is expected to wrap up later this year.


[Facade on West 27th Street | Image: Studio MDA/ Related Companies; all renderings via 6sqft]

Atop the gallery is a grid of 28 skylights and a green roof doubling as a sculpture garden. Brooklyn's Future Green describes it as "a verdant extension to the elevated park [that] showcases outdoor art works in a rich seasonal tapestry."


[Roof plan | Image: Future Green]

At roughly the same height as the High Line and just a short hop away from it, the rooftop sculpture garden echoes many of the adjacent residential developments that don't have access to the park (the city doesn't allow direct access from neighboring properties) but have their own elevated green spaces. A case in point is KPF's 500 West 21st Street (designed with Rees Roberts+Partners), whose mature trees serve as a screen between the busy High Line and the residential interiors.


[Section through gallery and High Line | Image: Future Green]

This last view, below, hints at another reason for the sculpture garden: to give the residents of 520 West 28th Street a better view, one that melds art and landscape — both off and on the High Line.


[Perspective looking toward the High Line | Image: Future Green]