Can This Arts Center Make Hudson Yards Likeable?

It’s the first warm Saturday of spring, and hundreds of tourists are navigating the busy wooden walkway of The High Line from Gansevoort Street to 34th along the tracks of the former New York Central Railroad line where grass and purple snow buds are blooming. The final endpoint for this mass of iced coffee and smartphone-wielding bodies is a glimpse of the glittering towers of Hudson Yards, Manhattan’s newest neighborhood.

Just steps away from the shiny new condos, stores, offices, and an already loathed public art piece, work is wrapping up on one of the most ambitious cultural institutions to emerge since the Lincoln Center. Officially launching on April 5th, The Shed is a multipurpose event space with an egalitarian mission designed by Liz Diller (of Diller Scofidio + Renfro, co-designer of The High Line) and David Rockwell (Rockwell Group). It will showcase an eclectic roster of multi-hyphenate artists, musicians, and creatives, with programming ranging from opera and classical music to dance and visual art—all of which will be set in a futuristic and collaborative atmosphere.