NYC’s newest park opens on the Hudson river

A whimsical new park, designed by Heatherwick studio and MNLA  that appears to float on pilings above the Hudson River unfurled to the public just off the Manhattan shoreline Friday, four years after a fight between media tycoon Barry Diller and a billionaire real estate developer threatened to thwart it.

 Little Island at Pier 55 is delineated to resemble a leaf floating on water, with a surging 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 marvellous views, all surrounded by a bounty of greenery.

Little Island cost nearly  $260 million, funded primarily by Diller and the Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation. The Hudson River Park Trust is managing the park.