Little Island, New York’s attractive and controversial new floating park, opens

In fact, its construction was financed by the millionaire Barry DillerAfter years of legal battles, engineering problems and a heated debate about the role that the wealthy can play in the “design” of public spaces in the Big Apple, which from the small island opens its post-pandemic period.

Diller, who promised to pay even $ 120 million to cover future expenses for the new park, designed the project together with his partner, the designer. Diane von Fustenberg, one of the biggest supporters of the elevated park of the High Line.

The project began to be outlined in 2012, when Diller was captivated by the architect’s idea Thomas Heatherwick, who designed the torch at the 2012 London Olympics and the Vessel sculpture in New York.

Slowly it won the opposition of many who considered it a waste of a public area as well as a project capable of upsetting the balance of some animal species that inhabit the Hudson River.

The confrontation dragged on for years and eventually the governor Andrew Cuomo he was forced to intervene on Diller’s behalf.

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