Opened in West Manhattan a little over a month ago, this brand new neighborhood is an exception in the megalopolis. The Shed, a high-level cultural center, the Vessel, the architectural work of Thomas Heatherwick, and the mall are already the new “places to be”. Discover the latest New York attraction.
On the High Line, some crowd, others stroll, some jostle. The old railway line converted into a promenade invites passers-by to discover the city from another angle. A breath of fresh air in the heart of the city, far from the hubbub. The footbridge winds halfway up the skyscrapers, as if one were passing through each of them. The good news is that it now extends right into the heart of the Hudson Yards, this newly inaugurated complex, located between the 30e and the 34e Street on the west side of Manhattan. A big change for this district where only the rails had the right of citizenship until then.
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“I had made the bet to create an Olympic village for 2012 thinking that New York would be next on the list. Unfortunately that was not the case, so we had to imagine something else ”, says Dan Doctoroff, chairman of the Hudson Yards and former deputy mayor during the Bloomberg era. Results? His dream cost $ 25 billion and is controversial. With its apartments on sale from $ 4.2 million and its restaurants reserved for wealthy customers, this bubble is undoubtedly participating in strong gentrification. Certainly. But that does not detract from the attractiveness of the place. Every day the Vessel is filled with visitors. This structure in the shape of a honeycomb cocoon in reflective copper imagined by the renowned architect Thomas Heatherwick sits in the heart of the square like a UFO. What is it about? Access to a breathtaking view? A work of art? Simply, a staircase! Where we venture, for free, as we have fun climbing to the top of the Eiffel Tower. Some may think the comparison is overkill, but it should be kept in mind since many have been quick to criticize its uselessness.
For once, the architect did not try to reach for the sky but rather to approach the public space in a new way. “This structure makes perfect sense if, and only if, it is full of people. It makes it possible to rethink human interactions ”says Stuart Wood, who has worked alongside Thomas Heatherwick for seventeen years. This three-dimensional public space is inspired by the Indian “stepwells”, these stairs carved into the rock. Let’s go up! The body follows the movement of the stairs. Towards the one on the right. Then the one on the left. You slalom… and without realizing it you are already on the heights. The wind embraces you and your gaze plunges inside the structure to see these stairs, like a psychedelic drawing drawn by this beehive-like cone.
“Now that we have released this UFO in the middle of nature, it’s up to everyone to see what they want, everyone to do what they want. We want this to be just the start of an adventure and for the Vessel to encourage creativity, to allow experiences, for example to host artistic performances ”, continues Stuart Wood. Wish fulfilled. The next day, a fashion show will take place for several hours. So much for the first step. Just opposite, the Shed, a new cultural center, awaits with its Etfe shell, a new generation plastic. Like a cube inflated and tightened by strings, this structure designed by architects Liz Diller and David Rockwell can slide in minutes to expand and expand space. The President explains:
“It is a ‘Swiss army knife for culture’, relying on the flexibility and simultaneity of events, a constantly evolving structure.” Just like the very high level performances at the frontier of genres. Alex Poots, the artistic director, remembers the beginnings. “I was working in Manchester for the great contemporary art festival when I received this proposal from New York to support this project, without really understanding what the team wanted. They revived me three times before I accepted. Very quickly, I found myself participating in many meetings. It was impressive, I was around the table with big names like Frank McCourt or Diane von Furstenberg. I came up with my idea of imagining commissioned artistic performances and, little by little, I saw these people agreeing with my vision. ” Alongside Dan Doctoroff, he embarked on this crazy adventure and began to imagine, five years ago, the first performances, real exercises in style.
Performances and concerts on the program
The result is up to the task. In April, Ben Whishaw put himself in the shoes of Norma Jeane Baker aka Marilyn Monroe in a play that tackled the question of gender as producer Steve McQueen rocked the walls with five concerts retracing African-American music thanks to young rising stars. For the past few weeks, Björk has been on the program, and the performance of the trio Reich, Richter and Pärt continues to impress. The room is full, the audience is contemplating Gerhard Richter’s murals when suddenly voices appear in the crowd. About ten people disguised as tourists start an opera song for ten minutes and then lead you into the next room to watch a film accompanied by an orchestra. On the wall, colored lines which, over the course of the music, evolve to recreate the works of the first room then return to their initial state after 20 minutes of Arvo Pärt’s concerto. The performance multiplies the original work tenfold, shows its depth and complexity.
As for the last stop of the Hudson Yards, the mall, at first glance, it is an American-style shopping center. A little smaller, a little more chic. The big luxury houses Cartier, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Fendi rub shoulders with brands of fast fashion like H&M, Zara, Uniqlo. But on closer inspection, the experience is rather innovative. Especially with the presence of Neiman Marcus, this iconic luxury store founded in Dallas in 1907, opening, for the first time, a branch in New York. On three floors, it offers the ultimate in technology.
Even the fitting rooms are a pinnacle: interactive screens and mirrors, different mood lights… all to make the buying process easier. As a bonus pop-ups, a beauty salon and above all a spa with an LED bed from LightStim for light therapy. Forty minutes for the body, twenty-five for the face. The experience is intense but supposed to regulate tension, erase dark circles, help blood circulation. One thing is certain, we are ready to end the day with a boost of energy and stroll to Forty Five Ten, which has monopolized the fifth floor. This other Texan brand, which plays the arty card, is on the shelves of all trendy people. For men, for women, vintage, design… each of the stores plunges into a different atmosphere. Clean, minimalist, colorful, almost Californian. She thus relies on eclecticism, the experimental. Each object is a nugget, selected with taste. We stay there just to dream in front of a set signed Dries Van Noten, Balenciaga, Celine, Gucci, Prada, Jill Sanders, and imagine ourselves in a parallel world behind these glass brick windows, made by Snarkitecture, a studio on the border. between art and architecture which has its own experimental exhibition on the second floor. This museum is the first of its kind. Their inspiration? A poem by Lewis Carroll The Hunting of the Snark. “Impossible journey of an improbable crew to find an inconceivable creature.” Through very refined installations, the team is in search of strangers to reinterpret everyday materials and structures and reconsider our environment.
Time has passed in Hudson Yards. The sunset is reflected in the mirrors of the Vessel. In the distance, the river. Restaurants are filling up, night is falling. The choice is quality. Wild Ink, in a subdued and designer atmosphere, offers Sino-American cuisine between revisited steams, different raw fish or a duck with kumquat. On the top floor, Tak Room, a tribute to America in the 1950s, is intended for an elite. For two count 500 dollars! Wealthy businessmen meet to talk about their second home in Florida and enjoy a Caesar salad brought to you on a silver platter. In an excess of zeal, the butler ensures your comfort at all times and worries about whether your piece of beef is to your taste, a hybrid meat between Japanese Wagyu and Black Angus. For dessert, the traditional chocolate cake.
If we were to keep only one address, it would undoubtedly be the Queensyard. Inspired by England, Chef Bogdan Danila manages to share the best of British gastronomy with elegance and precision. Quite simply. A last glance at the Vessel, it is empty but still lit.
Address Book
Hôtel Equinox
It is none other than the fitness brand Equinox that is opening a hotel for the first time. The concept? Offer a most healthy experience with spa, fitness room, bedroom equipped with a new generation bed and darkening windows. The hotel will open on June 15th. Count 700 dollars for a double room.
equinox-hotels.com/nyc/
3DEEN
For $ 6 per half hour, you can take advantage of this new place: a sharing space for working, showering and even sleeping in a bed. The first of forty others to open in New York in the coming year. goto3den.com
Sundays
Here, the manicure or the pedicure is done in absolute calm, meditation option if you wish. And especially with non-toxic products. The idea is to feel at home, in a Scandinavian setting. dearsundays.com
Snark Park
Between architecture and art, the Snarkitecture studio now has its own exhibition. Several times a year, it will offer different facilities to experiment with.
Queensyard
The English-inspired restaurant, with a view of the Vessel, offers refined and modern cuisine. queensyardnyc.com
Forty Five Ten
The Texan fashion brand is the go-to address for all hipsters. The pinnacle of arty luxury. fortyfiveten.com
The conservatory
Brian Bolke, who gave birth to Forty Five Ten, has just opened a new fashion temple. Buy online… in real life. This is his point. Theconservatorynyc.com
Van Leeuwen
Ice cream 100% made in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, these ice creams, vegan for those who want, have become a must. From a simple food truck, the team has even established itself in LA vanleeuwenicecream.com
Little Spain
Head downstairs to Hudson Yards for the best of Spanish food and culture.
The edge
Next year will open this glass walkway just over 360 meters above the ground. The future highest view of New York.
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