Trends in Urban Landscaping
Green outdoor space has always been at a premium in NYC. Tourists and residents alike have flocked to Central Park to enjoy the relaxing (and rare) Manhattan greenery. But things are changing fast.
Today, an exciting trend in urban landscaping is turning outdoor spaces into calming, green getaways. They offer a welcome relief from the unrelenting hustle and bustle of city life. Landmark urban projects incorporating natural greenery are becoming a staple in NYC life.
Today’s urban landscaping projects beautifully integrate brick and mortar with natural elements for a more vibrant, beautiful, and healthier urban environment.
Recent NYC landmark projects by Sponzilli Landscape Group are part of this new trend in urban landscaping.
Studies Define the Benefits of this New Urban Trend
These new green spaces offer areas for people to momentarily de-stress, reconnect, recharge, and experience the healing powers of nature. Of course, green spaces also add beauty to the environment.
Rachel Kaplan, PhD and Stephen Kaplan, PhD, are experts in environmental psychology. Their studies show that greenery in the environment eases mental fatigue, which often occurs in office spaces where workers concentrate on computers all day.
Other benefits of green spaces include lower levels of stress, depression and anxiety, and an improvement in general well-being.
Sponzilli and the New Urban Trend
Recent NYC landmark projects are leading the way in this new urban trend. And Sponzilli Landscape Group plays an important role in making it possible.
Sponzilli is one of the few landscape teams in the world with the ability to execute these green new urban landscapes. A landscape company must have the resources and experience to handle the scope of work these projects demand. Companies need the proper machinery and equipment technology—as well as knowledgeable leadership and talented labor.
And Sponzilli is one landscape company that is known to consistently deliver superlative, award-winning results.
Sponzilli has decades of experience incorporating innovative landscaping into many NYC landmarks.
They include:
- Carnegie Hall
- Pier 17 South Street Seaport
- NYU Langone Hospital
- Barclays Center
- Whitney Museum
Sponzilli Landscape Group Leads the Way
Here’s a quick look at just three of Sponzilli Landscape Group’s exciting contributions to NYC. If you live or work in New York, you will recognize them as some of the most impressive landscape projects in NYC’s recent history.
Hudson Yards & The Spiral at 66 Hudson Boulevard
Hudson Yards
Architects—Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates
Landscape Architects—Nelson Bryd Woltz, in collaboration with Heatherwick Studio, were lead designers of the public square and gardens.
Hudson Yards is the largest private real estate project in the US since Rockefeller Center. It includes a large shopping mall with over 100 shops, restaurants, a climbable beehive, and an attractive subway station—the 34th Street-Hudson Yards Station. Hudson Yards is home to thousands of New Yorkers. It is a popular NYC destination for visitors, as well.
Here, the new urban trend of combining man-made architecture with nature offers breathtaking results. All who visit enjoy the attractive, fragrant, and lush gardens.
Sponzilli Landscape Group was deeply involved with the installation of greenery, trees, and flowers. Today, 14 acres of open public space all filled with an abundance of stunning, fragrant gardens and trees.
In fact, the popular plaza boasts over 225 trees, 32,000 flowers, and 50,000 bulbs.
The Spiral at 66 Hudson Boulevard
Project Developer—Tishman Speyer Properties
Architect—Bjarke Ingels Group & Adamson Associates Architects
Construction Manager—Turner Construction
This striking 66-floor, 2.65 million sq. ft., office tower is part of the Hudson Yards project. Sponzilli Landscape Group spearheaded the landscaping installation.
The Spiral gets its name from a series of cascading landscaped terraces; when viewed from afar, they appear to spiral around the building in an exciting display of greenery. The Spiral is a significant addition to New York’s iconic skyline.
Atriums seamlessly connect to the terraces on every floor. This architectural design brings light and outdoor spaces to the workforce occupants—offering workers a sense of serenity and a place to re-charge.
Sponzilli met the challenge of installing trees, perennials, and ivy on these terraces and double-height atriums. Now there are trees thriving on balconies of this 1041-foot-tall building!
420 Kent Avenue
Owner—Spitzer Enterprises
Architect—ODA
420 Kent Avenue borders the East River in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn—a short, one-stop subway or ferry commute to Manhattan. The area features 857 residences in three 22-story multi-dimensional glass towers, along with amenities, restaurants, and retail stores.
An 80,000 sq. ft. outdoor space features a new 400 ft.-long river waterfront esplanade, connecting to the DUMBO (down under Manhattan bridge overpass) Promenade. There is also a roof garden and outdoor lounge and a sunken tranquility garden.
Once again, the new urban trend is evident, combining innovative architecture with green spaces, including a landscaped esplanade and courtyard gardens. It features breathtaking views of Manhattan’s iconic skyline.
Sponzilli Landscaping Group handled all landscaping.
Landscaping includes over 25,000 square feet of outdoor amenity space.
Some features are:
- A landscaped waterfront sundeck
- Lush rooftop open spaces
- A garden with an outdoor lounge
- An herb and vegetable garden
- Tranquility gardens
550 Madison Avenue
Developer—The Olayan Group and RXR Realty
Garden Space Designer—Snøhetta
General Contractor—AECOM Tishman
Outdoor space at 550 Madison Avenue (formerly known as Sony Tower, Sony Plaza, and the AT&T Building) was redesigned and transformed to meet the evolving urban needs of NYC. It’s a model for an ever-changing city and is an outstanding example of privately owned public space.
The outdoor space is over 21,300 square feet and spans an entire city block between 55th St. and 56th St. It includes ground level and elevated garden spaces—the only publicly accessible green spaces to exist on the East Side of Midtown Manhattan.
All city workers, residents and tourists now have a green oasis where they can linger, have lunch, connect with others, and feel revitalized.
The gardens are a series of interconnected areas for quiet reflection and more open areas for meeting with others. A slanted glass canopy partially covers the area. Visitors can also enjoy a large water feature.
Sponzilli Landscape Group was responsible for the installation of:
- Dozens of 25’ specimen trees
- The waterfall
- Extensive plantings and flowering shrubs
- Custom outdoor seating
The plantings were selected to thrive in the city’s changing seasons and light conditions. Some plantings were selected specifically to attract birds and butterflies into this urban habitat.
Contact us for more information about Sponzilli Landscape Group.
