Why visit
Little Island opened in 2021 at Pier 55 in Hudson River Park. Heatherwick Studio designed the elevated structure as a field of precast concrete columns that widen into tulip-shaped pots, recalling the wooden piles of former waterfront piers while lifting an undulating landscape above the river.
What to see
Landscape architect MNLA arranged paths through lawns, trees, shrubs and perennial gardens across changing elevations and microclimates. The topography produces sheltered corners, open overlooks and a high southwestern viewpoint, while gaps around the perimeter reveal water moving between the piles below.
Plan your visit
Performance is built into the park through the 700-seat Amph facing the harbor and the smaller 200-seat Glade within the planting. These venues, together with informal lawns and plazas, join art and landscape on a compact footprint whose engineered terrain makes the park itself the dominant architectural experience.
