Adding greenery to our concrete jungle has been a challenge that many architects and urban planners have taken on in hopes of making New York City more ecological friendly. But finding a vacant space that is suitable to plant an entire park isn’t exactly an easy feat. What’s the latest solution? Vertical density.
Shanghai-based firm 100architects has focused their attention on what they believe to be the most obvious way to make highly-densified urban spaces green: building vertical, sky-high parks. The first proposed park project, “Vertical Times,” would theoretically be located in the midst of Times Square. The space would consist of six levels of glassed pods featuring a bar, restaurant, garden, hammock plaza, ball pool, and a carousel playground.
Creating a multilayered park like this would allow for a softer impact on land consumption, while establishing a highly recognizable landmark in the city. Although the status of the proposal is unknown at the moment, many New Yorkers think that this would be a great addition to one of the most iconic areas of our city.
While we surely agree that “Vertical Times” could be an ideal solution to adding more parks in our urban environment, it might be more resourceful to devote all levels of the structure to green space rather than adding additional bars and restaurants.
