Little Island

Little Island is a 2.4-acre public park built on sculptural concrete pots rising from the Hudson River at the site of the former Pier 54, near West 13th Street in the Meatpacking District. Opened in May 2021, it is one of the most architecturally daring public spaces ever built in New York City, designed by Thomas Heatherwick with landscape architecture by Signe Nielsen.

The park's structure consists of 132 concrete tulip-shaped pots of varying heights, supported on piles driven into the river bottom. These pots create an undulating topography that rises and falls across the island's surface, with hills, valleys, pathways, and three performance venues nested within the sculpted landscape.

The project was primarily funded by billionaire Barry Diller and his wife, fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg, through the Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation. The park's estimated cost exceeded $260 million, making it one of the most expensive per-acre parks ever constructed.

Little Island's performance spaces include The Amph, a 687-seat amphitheater with Hudson River views; The Glade, an intimate performance space nestled among trees; and a smaller stage area for casual performances. The park hosts a packed calendar of free and ticketed events including concerts, dance, theater, and spoken word throughout the warmer months.

The park's landscaping features over 400 species of flowers, trees, grasses, and shrubs, chosen to create a naturalistic palette that changes with the seasons. From the island's highest point, visitors enjoy 360-degree views of the Hudson River, the Manhattan skyline, and the New Jersey waterfront.

Little Island represents a new model of park-building in New York: privately funded, architecturally spectacular, and designed as much for performance and spectacle as for passive recreation. It has become one of the city's most popular and photographed new attractions, drawing visitors from around the world to its floating garden above the Hudson.