TREASURE ISLAND

Although the Garden Bridge never became a reality for London, New York now has its own version, envisioned by the same designer, Thomas Heatherwick. Little Island, a new public park built over the waters of the Hudson, features a sloping landscape, thanks to huge concrete ‘plant pots’ set over the existing wooden pile foundations. These create a home to more than 400 species of trees and plants, plus various performance spaces, including a bowled amphitheatre. ‘Typically, pier structures are flat, but we saw this as an unmissable opportunity to lift the surface, to create a topography that would make a more dynamic social experience for visitors,’ says Heatherwick ( littleisland.org; heatherwick.com).