Known for his work on large-scale art projects, including the world’s biggest interior art installation, artist’s latest piece features over 1,000,000 square feet (100,000 square meters) of shimmering yellow fabric, wrapped around floating docks that span for miles up to and across Lake Iseo in Italy.

Undulating with the waves, the Floating Piers project lets visitors walk between Sulzano, Monte Isola and to the island of San Paolo; the floating platforms are visible from surrounding mountains as well.

Christo conceived of the idea with his Jeanne-Claude as far back as the 1970s, exploring different potential venues for its installation. While Jeanne-Claude passed away in 2009, Christo has carried on the idea, and finally found a place for the temporary work in Northern Italy.

Many works by this long-standing pair of ambitious artists were self-funded, in part through the sales of concept drawings and models in advance.

“like all of our projects,” says Christo, “The Floating Piers absolutely free and accessible 24 hours a day, weather permitting. There are no tickets, no openings, no reservations and no owners. The Floating Piers are an extension of the street and belong to everyone.” The project opened this weekend and will run for just 16 days. Images by Wolfgang Volz.

Following the success of the hovering High Line, an elevated park set on re-purposed rail tracks, New York City aims to pull off another park space in an unused space, this time at Pier 55 floating along the waterfront near the Chelsea endpoint of the High Line.

Designed by British architect Thomas Heatherwick, also behind a garden bridge project for London, the park will be supported on pier-like columns that branch out to hold up the green space above. This new park is as spread out and open as the High Line is linear and streamline, also offering experiences at different elevations compared to its relatively flat cousin.

“The pier will be a place of discovery, where visitors can wander and wonder, finding something new around every corner: places to lounge, eat lunch, or just lie in the grass,” said Heatherwick Studio. With its open spaces and various levels, the park is well-suited to hosting events and performances in the open air.

The project is being funded by Barry Diller and Diane Von Furstenberg, who have pledged personal money and set up a non-profit to fund it. After a series of lawsuits and delays, the architects have now been given the go-ahead by the US Army Corps of Engineers and Hudson River Park Trust. Meanwhile, again like the High Line on land, this design approach could inspire other dense cities around the world to reclaim waterways.

A massive 14,000-square-foot green roof is the latest addition to a city-approved pier conversion plan, part of an overall scheme to convert Pier 57 in New York City into an extensive modular shipping container mall on the water.

Developed by Youngwoo & Associates and designed by LOT-EK, famous for their extensive work with cargo containers, the SuperPier project will rent out retail space to stores in containers plugged into the larger existing structural framework.

Shade structures and seating are provided throughout to park area, allowing people to explore and rest along the length of the transformed open space. A series of plants organized to bloom in various seasons will add color year-round.

The project includes restaurants, an amphitheater and observation decks, all tucked into the currently-disused pier building.

As an historic landmark, external modifications like the park above must be carefully hidden from view, ultimately informing the design of the finished shapes and spaces. The result is a combination of historical facades and fresh interior and rooftop strategies.