Stephen Ross, the chairman and CEO of New York real estate firm Related, has chosen British designer Thomas Heatherwick to create a work of public art for the firm’s Hudson Yards development.
He will work alongside landscape artist Thomas Woltz to design a 4 acre public space at the heart of the $15 billion mixed use development on Manhattan’s West Side. Although it hasn’t been revealed what form the artwork will take, The Wall Street Journal reports that Ross is prepared to spend $75 million to provide “a new icon for the city.”
Heatherwick is recognised as one of Britain’s most imaginative designers. Many will be familiar with his work as a result of the spectacular Olympic cauldron at the 2012 London Games, while his plans for a garden bridge across the Thames have entered the first phase of public consultation.
Ross considered a number of high profile artists, including Jeff Koons and Richard Serra, before selecting the British designer. Heatherwick describes his involvement in the project as a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” and promises to “add another layer to New York’s rich cultural heritage.”
Hudson Yards is a 26 acre site that will deliver over 6.5 million sq ft of world-class office space together with 5 million sq ft of residential accommodation. It will also include retail and leisure developments and 100,000 sq ft of cultural space. When it is complete 30,000 people will work there and 10,000 will live on the site. Ross says, looking at Hudson Yards, he sees the new heart of the city.
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