!melk's verdant Pier 97 designs offer recreation and relaxation
Landscape architecture and urban design practice !melk have released renderings for New York's Pier 97 as part of the wider Hudson River Park project, which is transforming four miles of waterfront along Manhattan's West Side into a riverside park.
Pier 97, which is north of Hudson Yards and overlooked by Bjrake Ingels' Via 57 West, is one of the last areas of the project to be redeveloped, with the pier itself having being reconstructed in 2013.
The 680x120ft (207x37m) concrete structure is currently empty, but !melk's designs for the Hudson River Park Trust include green and public spaces, extensive planting and accompanying amenities.
The pier will be shaped around a variety of spaces for different activities, including a sports activity field, a gently sloped lawn for sunbathing, a children’s play area and a variety of flexible spaces for gathering.
There will be seating areas and canopy structures to provide shade throughout, as well as water play features and sculptural elements, an all-ages slide, a small woodland walk and an elevated belvedere with river views.
Construction is expected to begin in mid-to-late 2020 and be completed in early-to-mid 2022.
!melk Pier 97 park Hudson River Park New York