Zaha Hadid designed the new sculptural installation on the High Line entitled "Allongé." Located in the heart of Manhattan's cultural district in West Chelsea, the swooping design of the temporary construction shelter embodies Zaha Hadid's organic design aesthetic while serving as a mandatory protective cover for the High Line, and foreshadows the fluid forms of her dramatic new sculptural building, 520 West 28th, which is now under construction, with occupancy anticipated in 2016.
"I've always been fascinated by the High Line and its possibilities for the city. Decades ago, I used to visit the galleries in the area and consider how to build along the route. It's very exciting to be building there now," Hadid commented.
The design for the Allongé installation is inspired by the connectivity and dynamism of movement along the High Line. Visitors to the High Line will be able to experience Allongé by passing through and under the distinct shapes, inviting them into a protected yet connected environment in contrast to the rigidity of its surrounding urban fabric. In doing so, it, acts as an extrusion of the spatial ideas inherent in Hadid's architecture, where form follows not only function but is also drawn along by the narrative of movement through space. The installation's fluid lines and shapes represent the architect's four-dimensional world defined by the relationship to one's context and concepts of seamless spatial flow.
Made of silver metallic fabric stretched over a curvilinear metal frame, the installation forms a dramatic and sculptural pedestrian tunnel on the High Line between 27th and 28th Streets which measures approximately 14.5' high and 112' in length.
Photos: Scott Frances