NEW YORK’S HIGH LINE
Designed by landscape architects James Corner Field Operations along with architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro and garden designer Piet Oudolf, the igh !ine par" runs through #ew $or"%s Chelsea neighborhood along the lower west side of &anhattan on '() miles of repurposed ele*ated railway(he railway(he par" was completed in --. and /ur"s belie*es the pro0ect has been the catalyst for the regeneration of the Chelsea area and the &eatpac"ing District ne1t to it( 2he igh !ine is really connecting the dots of the city%s best upcoming architecture,2 he says, pointing out Jean #ou*el%s -'apartment bloc" and Shigeru /an%s &etal Shutter ouse, completed in -'', both of which cluster around an earlier Fran" 3ehry office building( he winning design includes o*er a do4en access points to the ele*ated par, and upcoming contemporary pro0ects probably wouldn%t ha*e been placed here had it not been for the igh !ine( 5nspired by the wild seeded landscape left after the line had been abandoned, the team created a pa*ing system that encourages natural growth which creates a 6pathless7 landscape( his undefined and unobtrusi*e en*ironment allows the public to meander and e1perience the par" as they wish(
/efore the new landscape could ta"e form atop the igh !ine, e*ery component of the structure was tested and treated to ensure its structural strength( 8s each piece of rail was remo*ed, it was mar"ed and mapped so that later, it could be returned to its original location as an integrated planting piece( 9nergy:efficient !9D lights gently illuminate the par"7s pathways and allow the eyes to ad0ust to the ambient light of the surrounding city s"y( !ights installed on the underside of the igh !ine illuminate the sidewal" below( he new space offers greening opportunities, alternati*e transportation options, and social benefits to meet changing needs in urban en*ironments( his radical infrastructure con*ersion has brought about thousands from around the world; and is a space where people can
5nstead of the accustomed method of streets>par"s shaped around buildings, he igh !ine has pro*en otherwise by attracting de*elopers near the site and building around the ele*ated par"( he par" has e1ceeded the initially e1pected amount of *isitors, and the surrounding buildings had shrewdly opened their arms to allow their business to grow( he pro0ect has appropriately blurred the lines between the past and the present #ew $or": old towers ha*e not only opened their windows to loo" upon the igh !ine, but opened their walls to allow passage into their corridors( ?ith this, the igh !ine has successfully built a city where buildings and par"s blend together, and a par" that is both inside and out(
ABANDONED HIGHWAY TO SEOUL SKYGARDEN
Dutch 8rchitects: &@RD@ has been chosen to transform an abandoned section of highway: deemed unsafe, in Aorea into an ele*ated public par"( he 6Seoul S"ygarden7 populates the o*erpass with )B different species of trees, shrubs and flowers to create an urban arboretum that caters to the entire city as a public par"( he library of plants ma"es legible the natural di*ersity of the city, allowing citi4ens to interact with, and disco*er new species( he new o*erpass also ser*es to reduce the ) minute wal" around the neighboring railway station to 0ust '' minutes howe*er, it is forecasted to generate '( times the cost of its reno*ation and maintenance in economic benefits(
he e1isting structure was built in the E-s to pro*ide a *ehicular connection to and from the local #amdaemun mar"et, one of the region7s largest traditional points of trade( Following intensi*e safety inspections in --, the 'E:meter high structure was deemed unsafe and intended to demolish it, banning hea*y *ehicles7 access to the ele*ated roadway in --.( Further consultation with residents and e1perts lead to the regeneration the o*erpass G which totals .,' sHuare meters in area G into a pedestrian wal"way and public space( he design ma"es the space as green as possible while introducing new leisure functions that reHuire a modular and adaptable approach( 5n addition to circular plant pots of *arying si4es, a series of customi4able acti*ators such as tea cafIs, flower shops, street mar"ets, libraries and greenhouses will pro*ide a catalogue of elements designed to enli*en the S"ygarden(
8dditional structures such as stairs, lifts and escalators as well as new satellite gardens, can connect to the S"ygarden, sprouting li"e branches from the e1isting structural piers( hese e1tensions can help generate further additions to the area7s greenery and public spaces, as it continues to e*ol*e o*er time(
?iny &aas, principal architect and co:founder of &@RD@ e1plains 2he Seoul S"ywal" will change the daily li*es of many people in Seoul for the better they will ha*e a pleasant shortcut through a green oasis in the midst of all the traffic and concrete( 5t is a wal" through a par", a li*ing dictionary of the natural heritage of Aorea, connecting the city dwellers with nature( Part of the pro0ect is a nursery in which plants will be raised for the surrounding par"s; in this way the s"ywal" will help to ma"e green the entire city center(2 he rein*ention of the highway was a complete turnaround from its abandoned and derelict state to a congregated throng of users 0ust passing through or intentionally went to for the mar"et, cafI, or for other recreational acti*ities( 8side from this, the pro0ect with its library of plants has been an ecological benefit for Seoul, absorbing the carbon emissions of cars from below( 8lso, the pro0ect has multiple access points which lessened the neighborhood wal" by 'B minutes( Since, Aorea isn7t susceptible to rains and typhoons, the pro0ect has gotten away with no roofs or canopies howe*er, it should be noted that o*erhead co*erings should be placed for the KS s"ywal" for the users to be protected from the rain as well as the sweltering sun(
MAKATI’S DE LA ROSA ELEVATED WALKWAY
he De !a Rosa 9le*ated ?al"way has ser*ed hundreds of thousands of pedestrians since it was first built from 9nterprise Center in Paseo de Ro1as to 3reenbelt( #ow that the wal"way has been connected to 8yala Center, commuters can now wal" from the 8yala &R station all the way to &a"ati &edical Center without worrying about the sun and rain( he -) meter e1tensions made pro0ect the longest ele*ated wal"way in the country with total of '(' "ilometers( 8ccording to &aC98, the -):meter De !a Rosa 9le*ated ?al"way was built at a cost of P''-( million o*er a year and eight months( 5t also said that a total of PB.E million has so far been in*ested in the city%s pedestriani4ation program(
8side from the ele*ated wal"ways, he &a"ati Commercial 9state 8ssociation L&aC98M also en*isions of creating tri:le*el pedestrian wal"ways composed of underground passageways, on:grade co*ered sidewal"s, and ele*ated wal"ways( President, Da*id /alangue, hopes that the wal"way will encourage users to use the healthier option to get to and from their destinations and to reduce the amount of motorists on the streets( 5n addition to the ele*ated wal"way you find a networ" of co*ered sidewal"s( owe*er, the roofs are often interrupted, e(g( at intersections, therefore an umbrella is still a necessity( <he wal"way offers wor"ers, residents, and transients7 safety, comfort, con*enience and protecti*e co*er on their short trips to the commercial center and bac"( here are many benefits to wal"ing, and sa*ings on gas and the *ehicle7s wear and tear( Reduced *ehicular traffic in the district will also ha*e a positi*e impact on the en*ironment,= /alangue said( &aC98 will also be rede*eloping !ega4pi @illage and ?ashington Sycip par"s, and will be upgrading e1isting facilities in the area( 8n escalator replacement program will soon
upgrade e1isting facilities( he installation of a wayfinding system in "ey areas(
8side from protecting the users from the rain and sweltering sun, the pro0ect has pro*ided a healthier option for users to wal" to or from their destination which hopefully, will lessen the need for use of *ehicles: which will ha*e a positi*e impact on the en*ironment( owe*er, the roofs not continuous, missing at intersection points therefore, a pedestrian will not be able to fully cross the intersection without an umbrella: this is what the pro0ect needs impro*ing on(
References
http>>www(designboom(com>architecture>m*rd*:the:seoul:s"ygarden:abandoned:highway: "orea:-):':-')> http>>www(archdaily(com>'--E>m*rd*:to:transform:abandoned:highway:in:seoul:into: lush:s"ygarden http>>www(archdaily(com>B>the:new:yor":high:line:officially:open https>>www(de4een(com>-'>->-B>stephen:bur"s:the:high:line:new:yor"> http>>www(thehighline(org>blog>-'>'->'>the:buildings:that:host:the:high:line http>>primer(com(ph>blog>-'>'>-E>ma"atis:wal"way:to:pro*ide:a:safer:wal":for:the: pedestrians> http>>www(megacities:go:ser*ices(com>&anila>Preferred:8reas:otSpots>!ega4pi:@illage: &a"ati>Staying:dry:in:&a"ati:ele*ated:and:roofed:wal"ways http>>thestandard(com(ph>news>metro>E>longest:ele*ated:wal"way:opens(html
