3. The High Line Park Passage and Spur

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It’s hard to imagine that even more innovation is coming to the High Line but The Spur and the Passage will be the last segments of the High Line to open to the public, becoming the he northern gateway to this internationally loved elevated promenade. The Passage weaves through Hudson Yards’ south tower, which cantilevers 60 feet above the High Line. To celebrate this cathedral-like space, the design remains open and minimal, with seating along the north edge and planting, social spaces, and balconies at the southern edge.

The transition from the Passage to the Spur features a densely vegetated threshold of sloped planting beds. Here, a distinctive mix of large woodland trees will establish a dramatic 40-foot-tall canopy of lush greenery with an understory of ferns, broad-leaf groundcovers, and perennials. Perched above 10th Avenue and 30th Street, the Spur is envisioned as a piazza with amphitheater-like seating steps that surround a central plinth for a rotating art program. The Passage and Spur will offer expansive views, dense woodland plantings, ample public seating, and a large open space for public programming, as well as public bathrooms for High Line visitors. This project marks the culmination of nearly 20 years of work toward the transformation of this former rail line into a public treasure.

The Passage and Spur is a project by the Department of Parks & Recreation, the Economic Development Corporation, and Friends of the High Line. It will be designed by James Corner Field Operations; Diller Scofidio + Renfro and Piet Oudolf.