It's safe to say the High Line is pretty popular and naturally it's going to attract imitators. London will begin construction on a landscaped walkway south of the River Thames, an up-and-coming arts district. It will connect new and old galleries and an open-air auditorium, which is why the project has been named “Missing Link."
The design was created by Erect Architecture and landscape architects J & L Gibbons, who were chosen from a pool of 100 entries. It will display an elevated promenade covered with rain gardens as well as temporary installations, both designed to provide commuters a new route along with some culture. It was inspired by the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens that were open in London from the mid 1600s to the 1800s.
As New Yorkers saw, the High Line was a big success for the city. In 2011, 3.7 million people visited the High Line with only half of them actually from the city. The park could bring in people from across the globe. It was so successful for New York that they made a Low Line out of an abandon rolley terminal on the Lower East Side. However, NYC does now face the issue of raised rent and increased gentrification. Perhaps London will find a way to remedy these problems.
However, the new architecture could have a profound effect in making the area a hub for artists and people all over the world. Although they didn't start off as great, NYC's High Line commissions have become wonderful, seeing works like Carol Bove's Caterpillar, JR'smural and FriendsWithYou'sinstallation.
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[viaInHabitat / TheArtNewspaper]
