A piece of the greater redesign of Governor’s Island, the project was 8 years in the making, consisting of 4 hills created by artificial topography. Architect Adriaan Geuze of the Netherland’s designed the project with his firm, West 8.
Each of the 4 hills is different from the next. Discovery Hill, standing at 40-feet high, contains a sculpture named “Cabin”, created by artist Rachel Whiteread, and funded by the SNF. Grassy Hill is 20-feet high and covered in turf. Slide Hill is 40-feet high, and contains 4 slides of varying heights and gradients, including the highest slide in New York City. Outlook Hill is the tallest at 70-feet. It holds a stone scramble for kids, created using blocks from the island’s seawall built in 1905. It also has amazing views of the Statue of Liberty, and is the only place in New York City where one can see Lady Liberty’s face from the front.
The event was attended by city officials, private donors, and the public, including children’s summer camps. Speeches were given by President and CEO of the Trust for Governor’s Island, Leslie Koch, former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and Manhattan Borough President, Gale A. Brewer, among others.
