The Hills on Governors Island New York, Manhattan Waterfront Landscape, NYC Public Space

The Hills on Governors Island in New York

Manhattan Public Space, NY, USA – design by West 8 urban design & landscape architecture

Aug 14, 2016

The Hills on Governors Island, New York is an International Architecture Awards Winner in 2016

International Architecture Awards 2016

Jul 22, 2016

The Hills on Governors Island, New York City

The Hills on Governors Island

Location: New York City, NY, USA

Design: West 8 urban design & landscape architecture

THE HILLS ON GOVERNORS ISLAND OFFICIALLY OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

West 8 Urban Design & Landscape Architecture

photograph © Lucas Carmel

On July 19, 2016 The de Blasio Administration, Former Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, and the Trust for Governors Island announced The Hills on Governors Island are open to the public July 19, adding 10 new acres of public space for the City of New York.

GI After Completion of Phase 1 Oct 14:

photo © Iwan Baan

Following a ribbon cutting ceremony, New Yorkers and visitors eagerly explored the Hills and their new landscapes, public art, play areas, slides, and extraordinary 360 degree views of the New York Harbor, Lower Manhattan, Brooklyn and New Jersey skylines, and the Statue of Liberty. Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development Alicia Glen, former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, elected officials, community leaders and the public attended the ceremony.

photo © Lucas Carmel

Designed by West 8 urban design & landscape architecture, the Hills are the culmination of the award-winning Governors Island Park and Public Space Master Plan, and Phase 1 of the Park and Public Space project. Rising 25 to 70 feet (8-21 meters) above the Island the Hills offer an extraordinary 360-degree panoramic experience of the NY Harbor.

photo © Timothy Schenck

The opening of the Hills marks a major milestone in the transformation of Governors Island from an abandoned military base into an iconic destination for New Yorkers and visitors alike.

Soissons Landing:

photo © Timothy Schenck

Over the past 13 years, Governors Island has been transformed from a relic few New Yorkers knew about and even fewer visited into one of the most popular parks in our city – or any city,” said Former Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. “The Hills are an extraordinary addition to the island that will inspire New Yorkers and visitors for many generations to come – and they are a powerful testament to what can happen when public servants, architects and artists, and generous supporters all work together to bring a common vision to life.”

photo © Timothy Schenck

The Hills are constructed of recycled demolition debris, general fill and lightweight pumice, stabilized with geotechnical reinforcement and covered with shrubs, trees and grassy lawns. While the Hills provide striking vistas and comfortable settings for relaxation and play, they also improve the island’s resilience in the face of increasingly dramatic weather patterns and rising sea levels.

Liggett Terrace:

photo © Timothy Schenck

“Sculpted topography works in concert with winding pathways and trees to create ‘conceal and reveal’ vistas, choreographing the park experience,” said West 8’s Design Director Adriaan Geuze. “It maximizes the sense of anticipation, pulling a visitor through the park or signaling a place to sit and stay just a bit longer. The topography defines the very character of the area.”

photo © Timothy Schenck

The Hills are opening nearly a year ahead of schedule. The four Hills embody all that makes Governors Island unique:art, play, nature, relaxation, and views:

• Grassy Hill is a 26-foot high gentle, grassy slope overlooking the Island’s new and historic landscapes and the Manhattan skyline;

• Slide Hill, at 36 feet high, is the home of four slides, including the longest slide in New York City;

• Discovery Hill, also 39 feet high, features a site-specific sculpture Cabin by the internationally recognized British artist Rachel Whiteread and first major permanent public commission in the U.S.; and,

• Outlook Hill provides universally accessible paths and the Scramble, constructed out of reclaimed granite seawall blocks, to reach the Outlook. Here, 70 feet above the Island, visitors have unforgettable views of the New York Harbor, the Statue of Liberty and the skylines of Manhattan, Brooklyn and Jersey City.

Hammock Grove:

photo © Timothy Schenck

GI Phase 1:

photo © The Trust for Govenors Island

Liggett Play:

photo © Kreg Holt

GI Phase 1 Liggett Pathways:

photo © Kreg Holt

GI Phase 1 Framed views:

photo © Kreg Holt

GI Phase 1- 5 miles of cycleways:

photo © Kreg Holt

Photographs below © Timothy Schenck:

View from the top of the scramble on Outlook Hill, looking north over the park on Governors Island:

View of the Statue of Liberty between Grassy and Outlook Hills:

View of the scramble on Outlook Hill from the Play Lawn:

Liberty Moment, from the top of Slide Hill:

Rachel Whiteread’s Cabin on Discovery Hill:

Liberty Moment at sunset:

Looking toward Liberty Moment, early evening:

Slide Hill features four slides, including the longest slide in New York City (57 feet long):

View of Outlook Hill from Discovery Hill. Outlook Hill, the tallest of the four Hills, rises 70 feet above the Island:

Rachel Whiteread’s Cabin on Discovery Hill:

View of Freedom Tower and downtown Manhattan from The Hills:

The Hills are home to more than 860 new trees and 41,000 new shrubs planted in new high-quality topsoil and protected from brackish groundwater by the new topography. The planting of each of the four hills is designed according to the micro-climates: varying degrees of slopes, exposure to sun, salty-spray, and prevailing wind and to accentuate key view corridors. The new lawns, plantings and permeable paving also reduce erosion and storm run-off, while allowing for water collection and irrigation.

Historical Before Pictures of Governors Island, New York Bay:

Photographs below by Andrew Moore

View of Governors Island looking north, 2003:

View of South Island fields in 2003. The apartment buildings pictured here were demolished and the rubble was used to create the Hills. The buildings are located where the Play Lawn is today:

Historic postcard of Governors Island during the World War I era. Dozens of warehouses on the southern part of the Island were used for the war effort. The southern part of the Island is today home to the park and Hills, designed by West 8:

View looking north toward Manhattan, 2003, from the spot that today is home to Grassy Hill:

“Our Hills are the culmination of an eight-year collaboration with West 8 and the many New Yorkers and visitors who contributed ideas to this ambitious project,” said Leslie Koch, President of the Trust. “The Hills are a triumph of imagination, state-of-the-art engineering and smart design that will ensure access to beautiful green space, the waterfront and incomparable views of the
Harbor for years to come.”

West 8 urban design & landscape architecture – designers:

Adriaan Geuze:

photo : Maaike Engels

Leslie Koch:

Tom Eccles:

The completion of the Hills has received widespread media acclaim including features in the New York Review of Books, The New York Times, Wallpaper, The New Yorker, The Guardian and Wired, among others.

The Hills are open for the summer season daily from July 19 – September 25, 2016, Monday-Friday 10am-6pm, Saturday/Sunday 10am-7pm. For more information, visit www.govisland.com.

Website: The Hills on Governors Island in New York

West 8 urban design & landscape architecture on e-architect

Location: Governors Island, New York City, USA

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LMCC’s Arts Center, Governors Island, New York, NYC, USA
Architects: Pei Cobb Freed & Partners

photo © Zachary Tyler Newton
LMCC’s Arts Center on Governors Island