Tapped in 2006 to lead the redevelopment of this 70-hectare island off the southern tip of Manhattan, West 8’s New York office just completed the second phase of its master plan: a playful four-hectare park. The park’s four sculpted mounds, which make up a flood protection barrier that ranges from eight to 21 metres high, are made of recycled demolition debris. These hills (Grassy, Slide, Discovery and Outlook) tease hikers with a sense of anticipation by staging such moments as the “granite scramble” and “hammock grove” along a promenade of constructed views, which alternately conceal and reveal Manhattan’s iconic skyline in a series of spectacular vistas.

Project: Governors Island Phase 2: The Hills

Location: New York, U.S.

Firm: West 8, Netherlands

Team: Claire Agre, Lisa DuRussel, Adriaan Geuze, Perry Maas and Daniel Vasini