Pier 55

The offshore public park in the Hudson River that almost didn't get built officially opens on Friday. Designed by Heatherwick Studio and MNLA, Little Island at Pier 55 is designed to resemble a leaf floating on water, with an undulating base of tulip-shaped concrete pots ranging in elevation from 15 feet to 62 feet. The two-acre park features a 687-seat amphitheater, a plaza with concessions, a small stage, and incredible views, all surrounded by an abundance of greenery.
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Offshore park Little Island announces resident artists ahead of spring opening

Photo of Little Island under construction in October 2020; Photo: © CityRealty

January 28, 2021

Offshore park Little Island announces resident artists ahead of spring opening

Developers of the new public park under construction in the Hudson River announced on Wednesday the participants of its first-ever artists-in-residence program. Artists Ayodele Casel, Tina Landeau, Michael McElroy, and PigPen Theatre Co., will perform, direct, and/or curate cultural events for Little Island, the two-acre offshore park at Hudson River Park's Pier 55 expected to open this spring.
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Events & Things To Do

New photos show ‘Little Island’ offshore park making progress at Pier 55

Little Island in May 2020 © CityRealty

May 27, 2020

New photos show ‘Little Island’ offshore park making progress at Pier 55

The much-anticipated offshore public park in the Hudson River is coming together, with its concrete tulip-shaped pots in place and the first trees planted. New photos of "Little Island" at Pier 55 show construction progressing ahead of its scheduled spring 2021 opening. The two-acre park, designed by Heatherwick Studio and MNLA, is meant to resemble a leaf floating on water, with its concrete base sitting above the river.
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Architecture And Design

Barry Diller’s $250M offshore Pier 55 park dubbed ‘Little Island’

Rendering courtesy of Little Island

November 13, 2019

Barry Diller’s $250M offshore Pier 55 park dubbed ‘Little Island’

The offshore park currently under construction in the Hudson River has been officially christened "Little Island," the Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation announced Wednesday. The Pier 55 project, which is being funded by billionaire Barry Diller and overseen by the Hudson River Park Trust, includes over two acres of public green space across a wave-shaped structure near West 13th Street in the Meatpacking District. First proposed in 2014 for $35 million, Little Island is expected to cost $250 million and open in the spring of 2021.
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Architecture And Design

Cuomo pledges $23M for Hudson River Park project in State of the State speech

Rendering by Pier55 Inc/Heatherwick Studio

January 17, 2019

Cuomo pledges $23M for Hudson River Park project in State of the State speech

Gov. Andrew Cuomo's State of the State speech Tuesday included a $23 million pledge to go toward the completion of Hudson River Park. That nearly-hidden line item in the state budget represents the governor's mediation efforts in a billionaire-vs.-billionaire feud involving Barry Diller's 2.7-acre park at Pier 55 on the water near West 14th street (often referred to as Diller Park), Crains reports.
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Architecture And Design

See new images of Barry Diller’s $250M Pier 55 park taking shape in the Hudson River

Photo by CityRealty

December 10, 2018

See new images of Barry Diller’s $250M Pier 55 park taking shape in the Hudson River

Back in July 6sqft reported construction progress at the enthusiastically on-again Pier 55 public park project on the Hudson River funded by billionaire businessman Barry Diller. The park broke ground in April, and some snaps courtesy of CityRealty revealed new concrete pylons arranged in various heights that will act as the wave-shaped floating park’s support structure. Now, the New York Times details further and more fascinating progress on the $250 million park and performing arts venue, including the installation of its stylistic anchor in the form of a system of concrete supports called pots, the underpinnings of Diller's unconventional architectural vision. And CityRealty once again reveals photos of what's happening in the Hudson just west of the Meatpacking District.
Take a look at what's rising from the Hudson

July 17, 2018

PHOTOS: Pier 55’s undulating support structure takes shape on the Hudson River

Construction photo via CityRealty; Rendering via Heatherwick Studio Construction has moved along quite nicely at Pier 55, the on-again, off-again public park project funded by billionaire businessman Barry Diller planned for the Hudson River. While there was not much to show when the park broke ground in April, photos recently taken by CityRealty reveal new concrete pylons arranged in various heights. These will act as the wave-shaped floating park's support structure.
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Construction restarts at Pier 55 offshore park with new walkways in place

Rendering by Pier55 Inc/Heatherwick Studio

April 17, 2018

Construction restarts at Pier 55 offshore park with new walkways in place

After years of drama, during which the project was declared dead, then given new life, construction on the public park anchored in the Hudson River (also known as Pier 55 and Diller Island), is now moving forward as evidenced by a site photo taken by CityRealty this week showing two walkways leading to the pier from Hudson River Park now in place. As 6sqft reported last October, the Pier 55 project spearheaded by media mogul Barry Diller was rebooted with Diller's renewed commitment, complete with the backing of his recent legal foes, former ointment-fly Douglas Durst and Governor Andrew Cuomo.
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Architecture And Design

After funding lawsuit against Pier55 offshore park, Durst joins board of Hudson River Park Trust

Rendering via Pier55, Inc

January 16, 2018

After funding lawsuit against Pier55 offshore park, Durst joins board of Hudson River Park Trust

Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer appointed Douglas Durst on Friday to the board of the Hudson River Park Trust, a group he has frequently criticized over their proposed Pier55 project. Durst admitted last year to funding a lawsuit to stop the trust's plan for an off-shore park on the Hudson River. While billionaire businessman Barry Diller, who is funding the $250 million project, halted construction in September, the plan was restored a month later, with pressure and financial help from Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Brewer told Crain's that Durst didn't volunteer, she asked him to join the board. "I think he loves the park," she said.
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Barry Diller’s Pier 55 offshore park plan is back on with backing from Cuomo

In September, 6sqft reported that billionaire IAC Chairman Barry Diller was giving up on the $250 million project that promised to bring a futuristic offshore park and cultural destination to the Hudson River’s dilapidated Pier 54. Since its beginnings in 2014, the seemingly ill-fated project, known as Pier 55 (or sometimes “Diller Park”), was beleaguered by opposing factions–eventually revealed to be funded by prominent New York real estate developer Douglas Durst–that blocked its progress at every turn. Diller, who had imagined the project as a new Manhattan waterfront icon to rival the nearby High Line, had had enough. In a cautiously optimistic turnaround, it was announced Wednesday that the media mogul–now backed by his recent legal foes and Durst in addition to Governor Andrew Cuomo–was renewing his commitment to move ahead with the project, according to Crain's. Diller said in a statement, "I have had countless people tell me how much they were looking forward to having this new pier, and how unfortunate were the circumstances of its cancellation."
So what happened?

Barry Diller pulls the plug on $250M Pier 55 offshore park

Photo: Pier 55, Inc./Heatherwick Studio.

September 14, 2017

Barry Diller pulls the plug on $250M Pier 55 offshore park

Barry Diller, the billionaire chairman of IAC, announced he's killing the $250 million project that promised to bring a futuristic offshore park and cultural site to the Hudson River's dilapidated Pier 54. 6sqft previously covered the unfolding saga of the ill-fated project, known as Pier 55 (or sometimes as "Diller Park"), as opposing factions continually blocked its progress and were eventually revealed to be funded by prominent New York real estate developer Douglas Durst. According to the New York Times, Diller said Wednesday that his commitment to build the undulating pier would be coming to an end—an inglorious one for a bold plan that some, and certainly Diller himself, saw as a new Manhattan waterfront icon to rival the nearby High Line.
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Pier 55 project files appeal to stop work order; Durst says he backed opposition

Photo via Pier 55 Inc.

May 23, 2017

Pier 55 project files appeal to stop work order; Durst says he backed opposition

6sqft reported in March on the latest developments in the on-again-off-again status of the $200 million Barry Diller-funded offshore park/performing arts center proposed for Pier 55 on the Hudson River; though construction began last November, opponents of the project, led by the City Club of New York, gained a victory in the form of a ruling by Judge Lorna G. Schofield that agreed with group’s claim that the Army Corps of Engineers had not conducted a sufficient environmental review on how the 2.4-acre park would affect fish and wildlife. The judge ordered that work stop at the site and called for a review of alternatives for building along Hudson River Park, a maritime sanctuary. Now, the New York Times reports that the Corps of Engineers, with the project's sponsor, the Hudson River Park Trust, has filed an appeal of the decision.
And what about that Diller-Durst feud

March 24, 2017

Judge once again stops work at Pier 55 over environmental concerns

If you thought the roller coaster that is Pier 55 was over since construction began in November, you may not want to step off the ride just yet. Just yesterday, a federal judge ruled in favor of the City Club of New York, who took legal action against the $200 million Barry Diller-funded offshore park way back in the summer of 2015. As reported by the Times, Judge Lorna G. Schofield agreed with the group's claim that the Army Corps of Engineers had not conducted a sufficient environmental review on how the 2.4-acre park would affect fish and wildlife. She ordered that work stop at the site and called for a review of alternatives for building along Hudson River Park, a maritime sanctuary.
Get the whole legal saga

January 30, 2017

Pier 55 offshore park may be flatter than originally proposed

Despite the fact that the 535 concrete piles that will support the planned undulating base of the Pier 55 offshore park have already been erected, the Hudson River Park Trust is now looking towards a flatter design. The Architect's Newspaper obtained a copy of a permit modification request that the group submitted to the Army Corps of Engineers that reduces the park's overall size slightly from 2.7 to 2.4 acres and replaces many of the hollow pentagonal pots that would have sat on top of the columns with "a flat structural base sandwiches between the piles and the landscaping."
Find out the reason for the major change

Architecture And Design

Construction update: Pier 55’s 535 concrete columns rise from the Hudson River

Current view of Pier55 site, via 6sqft

November 18, 2016

Construction update: Pier 55’s 535 concrete columns rise from the Hudson River

Now that the Barry Diller-funded Pier 55 offshore park can proceed freely, the Wall Street Journal took a look at how construction is progressing on the $200 million project. Currently, the 535 concrete columns, each three feet wide and ranging from 70 to 200 feet long, that will support the 2.75-acre park have been erected, poking out of the Hudson River amidst the historic wooden piles that once supported Pier 54, where the Titanic was supposed to dock (these will remain to sustain marine life development). On top of them will be pots, "hollow pentagonal forms" that weigh as much as 60 tons and will be "linked with concrete to create a rectangular platform of about 104,000 square feet."
More new details this way

October 26, 2016

Pier 55 appeal dismissed in court; park construction can move ahead

After nearly a year and a half of yo-yo-ing back and forth between stop work orders and lawsuits, the Barry Diller-funded Pier 55 park can finally move ahead freely. The New York Law Journal reports that yesterday the state Court of Appeals denied the City Club of New York's appeal of September's ruling in favor of Pier 55 and the Hudson River Park Trust (HRPT) that said construction could continue on the 2.75-acre offshore park, dismissing the opponents' claims that the park failed to go through adequate environmental impact evaluations and violated the public trust doctrine by planning to host private events.
What this means for Pier 55

September 8, 2016

Pier55 prevails in court, construction to continue on Barry Diller-funded offshore park

By Diane Pham

All systems are go for the Barry Diller-funded Pier55 park, as a State Appellate court ruled today that work can continue on the 2.75-acre project sited along the Hudson River. As 6sqft previously reported, the main opponent of the park—better known as The City Club of New York—has been aiming to thwart the project under the claim that those involved, namely the Hudson River Park Trust (HRPT) and Pier55 Inc. (the nonprofit manager established by Diller), failed to go through adequate environmental impact evaluations. City Club served the pair with a lawsuit that eventually led to a stop work order in June. However, an appeals court lifted the stop work order shortly after, and by the end of August, the first nine piles were installed. Today's ruling upholds a lower court's decision that HRPT and Pier55 Inc. did in fact do a proper environmental review, and moreover, that HRPT was not required to put out an RFP to solicit other ideas for the site from other developers—another major point of contention. The court also decided that the park reserves the right to use the space for non-public events like ticketed concerts, although it is noted that "the lease requires that 51 percent of the performances be free or low-cost."
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Architecture And Design

September 7, 2016

POLL: Are you in favor of the Pier 55 offshore park moving ahead?

As of late last month, summer construction work on the Barry Diller-funded Pier 55 was complete, with the first nine piles propping up the offshore park having been installed. It seemed as though all systems were a go at the $130 million futuristic park, but yesterday 6sqft reported that The City Club of New York, the civic group who was behind an earlier lawsuit and stop work order, may have a backer in none other than Douglas Durst. And today the Wall Street Journal shares that opponents had their first day in front a panel of state appellate-court judges to express environmental concerns and frustrations that the initial planning between billionaire Diller and the Hudson River Park Trust was done behind closed doors. What are your thoughts on the issue?
More details on the hearing, and tell us if you're in favor of Pier 55 moving ahead

Architecture And Design

September 6, 2016

Mogul vs. mogul: Is Douglas Durst trying to stop Barry Diller’s offshore park?

Once again in the news is media mogul Barry Diller's futuristic offshore cultural pier development at Pier 55 on the Hudson River. The proposed park project, known informally as Diller Park after its main backer, who is chairman of IAC/InterActiveCorp and is married to fashion designer Diane Von Furstenburg, is helmed by the Hudson River Park Trust. The New York Times reports that the project’s main opponent, a civic group called The City Club of New York, may have an equally powerful backer. According to Diller, there is a deep-pocketed "hidden hand” funding the legal actions against the park. In a recent interview, Diller said, “The backer of all this is one Douglas Durst.”
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August 24, 2016

Summer work on Barry Diller-funded futuristic offshore park complete

By Diane Pham

Work on the Barry Diller-funded Pier55 park is advancing nicely, even after being slapped with a lawsuit and a stop work order in June. As the Hudson River Park Trust (HRPT) and Pier55 Inc. announced this afternoon, the first nine piles propping up the 2.7-acre undulating park have been installed. Per the pair's press release, the milestone marks the completion of summer work and is part of the initial work of the first phase of construction.
more on the progress here

July 19, 2016

Court Says Work Can Proceed at Barry Diller’s Futuristic Offshore Park

At the end of last month, an appellate court issued an injunction that said work must temporarily stop at Barry Diller's Pier 55 until at least September when opponents of the futuristic offshore park (who claimed it had gone through inadequate environmental impact evaluations) could present their case again. But The Real Deal reports today that work has resumed much sooner than expected, as an appeals court lifted the stop work order yesterday.
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June 30, 2016

Court Temporarily Stops Construction on Barry Diller’s Futuristic Offshore Park

Last summer, a civic group known as City Club of New York slapped Barry Diller's Pier 55 with a lawsuit, claiming he and the Hudson River Park Trust had failed to thoroughly evaluate the environmental impact of the 2.7-acre offshore park. In April of this year, the Manhattan Supreme Court dismissed the case, and later that same month news broke that construction on the $130 million project would begin this summer after gaining regulatory approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. However, DNAinfo reports that today an appellate court issued an injunction that says work must temporarily stop until at least September when the opponents present their case again.
More details ahead

April 27, 2016

It’s Official! Construction on Barry Diller’s Futuristic Offshore Park to Begin This Summer

Earlier this month, Barry Diller's futuristic offshore park got closer to reality when the Manhattan Supreme Court dismissed a case against the development that claimed it could have a negative environmental impact. And now the $130 million project known as Pier 55 has cleared its final hurdle, gaining regulatory approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. According to Crain's, the Hudson River Park Trust revealed today that construction will commence this summer.
More ahead

Architecture And Design

April 8, 2016

Judge Gives the Go Ahead to Barry Diller’s Pier 55 Offshore Park