US firms SHoP Architects and Ken Smith Workshop have turned a sliver of land along the East River into an ecological park featuring gardens, a faceted metal screen and a rocky beach that serves as habitat for mussels.
Just south of the Lower East Side neighbourhood in Manhattan, Pier 35 sits along the East River and faces towards Brooklyn. The new park anchors the northern tip of the East River Waterfront Esplanade, a two-mile-long (three kilometres) stretch of land that is owned by the city.

The park offers much-needed outdoor space for residents, while also serving as a habitat restoration area. The project was designed by SHoP Architects and landscape firm Ken Smith Workshop, which are both based in New York.
For the rectangular site, the team created several gardens and a large, sloping metal screen that will eventually be covered with foliage. In the evening, the perforated structure is illuminated by golden light.
"The pier features an accordion-like design, creating the sense of a folded terrain," said the team. "A series of landscaped lawns and dunes create a walkway, while an inclined, plant-covered folded screen wall acts as a 'green' billboard to the city."

The faceted screen measures 35 feet (11 metres) in height and over 300 feet (91 metres) in length. In addition to serving as a dramatic backdrop, the screen hides a sanitation shed on a neighbouring pier.

On the eastern side of the park, the screen merges with a canopy structure that...