[NYguy]

http://archrecord.construction.com/n...Rail-Yards.asp

Third High Line Phase Sets Tone for Neighboring Development
Diller Scofidio + Renfro will design the first residential tower for Hudson Yards, a megaproject adjacent to the acclaimed New York City park.

March 14, 2012
By Fred A. Bernstein

The first two phases of the High Line, the elevated park by James Corner Field Operations and Diller Scofidio + Renfro, have helped spur an architectural renaissance on Manhattan’s lower west side. But the planned third phase—which will wrap around the 26-acre Hudson Yards development—may be even more transformative. That’s not only because the northern section of the line, with its level change (the railroad tracks descend to the ground at 34th Street) and sweeping curves along the Hudson River, promises to be the most dramatic section of the park. It’s also because the Related Companies’ Hudson Yards development, which is expected to contain some 13 million square feet when complete, is at the moment largely a blank slate. That means phase three of the High Line has a chance to set the architectural tone.

Literally. Just as Friends of the High Line was releasing renderings of phase three this week, Related announced that it had chosen an architect for the first residential tower in the Hudson Yards: Diller Scofidio + Renfro. The firm, whose offices overlook the High Line, has never done a high-rise building. Partner Ricardo Scofidio says he is excited about the commission. "One can argue that most architects do their best building when it’s the first commission of a type,” he says. “You're not pulling details out of a drawer."