As designers we have to work consciously not just keeping end users in mind, but also the various implications our project has on the environment. How sustainable are we being? The use of recyclable or natural materials is one way to go. While working on our 7 in 7 prototypes, how many of us bought new materials versus repurposing found objects? The High Line is an example of a repurposed space, a public park built on an elevated freight rail line.

Building on the ideas put forth in To the Future Mayor, New York City as an island and its versatile relationship with its surrounding waters, and the construction of artificial islands (Wadden 68 and Watson 275), I’d like to talk about Little Island that opened earlier this year.  Sitting on the historically rich site of Pier 54 in the Hudson river, the location is a constant reminder of the development of the NYC waterfront over the years from port to communal space to public park. Today it is a green microcosm, a landmark bustling with nature, art and performance and was commissioned to repair and reimagine the pier after the devastation of Hurricane Sandy. The the tulip-shaped fabricated concrete piles were emerge from existing wooden piles left to preserve the habitats for aquatic life. Construction of the park even took a break for a period of five months so as to not disturb the fish migration. The park was inspired by the structure of a floating leaf and is today the city’s own floating park. 

This isn’t an example of a structure that combats or mitigates an environmental issue, but instead is interesting to look as I felt it fell within the intersection of this week’s readings. The design of Little Island was the winning proposal of a competition held in 2013. You can check out their environmental impact statement here in which they state that the the ‘proposed project would not result in any significant adverse impacts to natural resources’: https://hudsonriverpark.org/app/uploads/2020/07/Pier-57-Final-Environmental-Impact-Statement.pdf

This makes us think of how subjective the idea or notion of creativity can be – does it come from an art and design point of view or can it broadly imply a new radical/innovative way to solve a problem or revisit an existing issue?

 

Works Cited

Elengical, Jerry. “Heatherwick Studio’s Little Island Opens in New York as a Green Microcosm.” STIRworld. STIRworld.com, May 25, 2021. https://www.stirworld.com/see-features-heatherwick-studio-s-little-island-opens-in-new-york-as-a-green-microcosm. 

Nowacek, Nancy. “To the Future Mayor” Instagram video (2021).

“Little Island @pier55.” Little Island @Pier55. Accessed November 10, 2021. https://littleisland.org/.