Remembering Ricardo Scofidio who pushed the boundaries of how we experience art, architecture, and the world around us

We pay tribute to the pioneering DS+R architect who has died aged 89.

Ricardo Scofidio, who has died aged 89, helped shape the urban landscape in a way that was both profound and lasting. Alongside his partner Elizabeth Diller, Scofidio's work under the firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R) consistently pushed the boundaries of how we experience space, art, and the world around us.

His approach was informed by concepts that questioned traditional notions of architecture as merely functional. Instead, from their earliest projects, DS+R tackled the idea of architecture as an active, engaging element in people's lives. The practice designed some of the world’s most revered civic spaces and cultural institutions.

Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, 2006. View from Boston Harbor. Photo credit: Chuck Choi

Their many landmark projects, including the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston and the Blur Building at the Swiss Expo 2002, are infused with a sense of theatricality, where the building and the spaces are considered not just in terms of utility, but as active players in the sensory experience of the audience. In the case of the Blur Building, for instance, the architecture was conceived as a building within a cloud, a metaphorical exploration of architecture and nature.

Blur Building, Yverdon-Les-Bains, Switzerland, 2002. View from shore. Photo credit: Iwan Baan

More recently, the studio has created numerous high-profile projects including the Broad in Los Angeles and V&A East in London. Other notable buildings in New York include The Shed cultural centre, a major expansion to the Museum of Modern Art, the Lincoln Center renovation and the 15 Hudson Yards residential skyscraper.

The Broad, Los Angeles, 2015. Column-free daylit gallery. Photo credit: Iwan Baan

However, the most celebrated and widely recognized of Diller Scofidio + Renfro’s many projects is their transformation of the High Line in New York City. The project, which began in 2006 and opened to the public in phases between 2009 and 2014, is a striking example of urban renewal incorporating art, architecture, and landscape design.

The High Line Core Design Team (l-r): Elizabeth Diller, Matthew Johnson [both of Diller Scofidio + Renfro], James Corner [James Corner Field Operations], Ricardo Scofidio [Diller Scofidio + Renfro], Lisa Switkin [James Corner Field Operations]. Picture credit: Matthew Monteith

Once an elevated rail line serving the industrial sector of Manhattan, the High Line was abandoned for decades before being transformed from derelict rail track to dynamic public space. In the hands of Scofidio, it became a truly beloved example of how the built environment can be reimagined to serve new purposes, and its resulting success has led countless city councils across the world to try and replicate its transformative effect.

Scofidio's involvement was central to the project's vision: rather than simply restoring the old structure or replacing it with new development, his design strategy sought to preserve the authenticity and history of the space while integrating modern, sustainable, and interactive elements.

Map showing specialised markets on the West Side of Lower Manhattan served by the New York Central Railroad. City of New York Department of Docks and Ferries, May 7, 1912

The elevated park, which winds its way through the Chelsea neighbourhood, preserves many of the original rail lines, but layers in a variety of public art installations, landscaping, and pathways that invite new ways of experiencing the city. Visitors experience the High Line not just as a park, but as an immersive urban promenade that offers an ever-shifting perspective on the surrounding cityscape.

The High Line under construction. Picture credit: James Corner Field Operations and Diller Scofidio + Renfro

The landscape design itself is incredibly thoughtful, incorporating native plants and grasses to echo the industrial past of the site, while also providing seating areas, platforms for art installations, and shaded spots for relaxation.

But Scofidio’s design for the park went way beyond the functional aspects of green space. The High Line is not just a park in the traditional sense; it is a journey offering diverse experiences, from the contemplative solitude of a quiet garden to the bustling vibrancy of an urban promenade. It prioritised human experience and, in so doing, transformed the way in which Manhattan could be navigated for residents, workers, and tourists alike.

The High Line. Picture credit: Andrew Frasz

It will forever stand as testament to Scofidio’s vision of architecture as a force for social change. Phaidon is honoured to have published DS+R’s monograph Architecture, Not Architecture, as well as The High Line, which together celebrate Scofidio’s legacy of architectural innovation.