The Greenwich High Line: elevated walkway named p5k begins to take shape
Recent weeks have seen support sections for a new five kilometre walkway named p5k begun to be installed on the Greenwich Peninsula. Apparently, it’s inspired by New York’s High Line.
The concept sees five connected ‘islands’ with an elevated green area. Bars and cafes will be located under the walkway at certain points. The first stretch is a collaboration between landscape firm Gross Max and architects Diller Scofidio + Renfo.
The section now being installed winds its way between towers now rising at Upper Riverside near the O2.
Talking of New York’s High Line, from some angles these towers are reminiscent of the former World Trade Center with strong vertical emphasis on the facade.
Now, you may scoff when comparing it to New York’s High Line. I was lucky enough to visit it almost a decade ago and this will of course lack the shape and scale of buildings and streetscapes there, but once the area builds up will still offer a pretty dramatic walk.
Phase 1 in Greenwich is the section being installed at present. Phase 2 is heading through the planning process.
That’s great. But I thought it was a running track, not a walkway?
A high line is a great idea, especially if done on the scale of New York’s, part of which I walked this summer. Camden is also planning a version, and I recall talk of turning part of the truncated Old Broad Street line into a ‘park’?
This is a bit different from the New York High Line as in New York the old railway viaducts were already there and it allows pedestrians to avoid New York’s congested traffic. Neither of these applies here so it’s all a bit of a contrivance really, possibly trying to latch on to NY’s perceived trendiness. It also risks being rather bleak and windswept except in the best of weather. As someone working in this rather desolate area it’s not the first thing I would say we need but my cynicism may be proved wrong; after all, I thought the cable car would never catch on…
The Camden and Old Broad Street plans utilise defunct railway lines, but the remnants are quite short. The section of the High line we walked this summer definitely has interesting views of the City with the Statue of Liberty visible in the far distance.
This is amazing to watch the progress is far achieved also by watching these men work the way they did lifting these big big pieces of steel and joinInt them together must of taken a lot of experience I would say a massive round of applause to those guys putting this together very experienced well
Done Connect Steel Solutions