Project Overview

The Hills are the culminating feature of West 8's award-winning Governors Island Park and Public Space Master Plan, and Phase 1 of the Park and Public Space project. A new beacon in the harbor, the Hills provide visitors with the feeling of being immersed in a green oasis, culminating at the top of Outlook Hill with an extraordinary 3360-degree panoramic experience of the New York Harbor.

Project Commissioner

The Trust for Governors Island

Project Creator

West 8

Team

Design
WEST 8, Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects, Magnusson Klemencic Associates, AKRF, Hart Crowser Inc., Pentagram, Tillotson Design Associates, Dagher Associates, Pine and Swallow Environmental, Northern Designs, Code Consulting Inc., Faithful & Gould, ETM Associates, Langan, SiteMasters

Construction
Turner Construction Company, Bedford-Carp Construction, The LiRo Group, STV Inc., SiteWorks, BrightView Landscapes, RR Irrigation, ADCO Electrical, Welding Works, Southside Precast, Layout Inc., Design Communications Limited

Project Brief

Drawing from the precedent of Frederick Law Olmsted’s creation of manmade topography in Central Park, the ten newly designed acres of park pay homage to the lush, hilly landscapes of pre-colonial Manhattan, and fortify the Island’s resiliency in the face of rising sea levels.

West 8 understood from the outset that the new Park and Public Spaces on Governors Island would need to be resilient in the face of rising waters. In order to build a park that is sustainable across the next century, West 8 had to plan for the continuing long-term increase in mean sea level and for the more frequent and violent storms that that are expected to accompany climate change along the Eastern seaboard. Rather than withdrawing in the face of the advancing waters, majority of the Island has been lifted out of the flood zone. Transforming the Island through topography.

Project Innovation/Need

Rising 25 to 70 feet above the Island, The four Hills embody all that makes Governors Island unique: art, play, nature, relaxation, and views:
• Grassy Hill is a 26-foot (8m) high gentle, grassy slope overlooking the Island’s new and historic landscapes and the Manhattan skyline;
• Slide Hill, at 36 feet (11m) high, is the home of four slides, including the longest slide in New York City;
• Discovery Hill, 39 feet (12m) high, features a site-specific sculpture Cabin by the internationally recognized British artist Rachel Whiteread and first major permanent public commission in the U.S.; and,
• Outlook Hill provides universally accessible paths and the Scramble, constructed out of reclaimed granite seawall blocks, to reach the Outlook. Here, 70 feet (21m) above the Island, visitors have unforgettable views of the New York Harbor, the Statue of Liberty and the skylines of Manhattan, Brooklyn and Jersey City.

Design Challenge

Developed from the 2007 international design competition winning entry, and the 2010 Park and Public Spaces Masterplan, The Hills are the latest addition to the park. The first 30 acres opened to the public in 2014.

Now that the Hills are open to the public, visitors are now able to walk or bike around the island’s entire 2.2-mile promenade and enjoy the popular Picnic Point. The southern portions of the promenade and Picnic Point had been closed since 2012.