L’high Line Elevated Parkway : metamorfosi di un’infrastruttura in riconversione

The reuse of the abandoned High Line Elevated Parkway, claimed and partnered by the association Friends of the High Line, is based on certain features of the former, obsolete, viaduct which runs trough the urban tissue nearly 30 feet in the air. Inspired by the unexpected beauty of the lush wilderness that has converted the High Line’s tracks into a spontaneous greenway since 1980s, the design team has been led by James Corner – Field Operation, with Diller & Scofi dio + Renfro and Piet Oudolf. Sublimating the old traces of over 20 years of abandon, the project is founded on a holistic approach that embodies the new dominant paradigm marked by the growing importance of recycling, slowness and sustainability. The Phoenix-like metamorphosis that the ancient infrastructure has undergone, has produced one of the most popular destinations in the city. Moreover, embracing adaptive reuse and community planning, the new park however polarizes contrasting scenarios, since the reuse of the viaduct has spurred real estate development in the Chelsea district. Although the gentrification of the entire Meatpacking district was already an ongoing process, the High Line appears as the main catalyst in pushing it northwards and supporting the rezoning of West Chelsea.