The city is entombed in nearly 200 miles of metal bars and plywood decking that protects pedestrians from falling debris and construction material — a claustrophobic labyrinth that could cover the sidewalks on both sides of Broadway several times over. Even the High Line has them, in six spots, including Ms. Hadid’s project.

Image A man sat under more utilitarian scaffolding on 10th Avenue in Manhattan last week. Credit... Bryan Thomas for The New York Times

Given the location, the developer of the 39-unit condominium project, the Related Companies, sought to do something different here, and asked Ms. Hadid to create a special wrap to help hide the shed.

“Zaha is an artist as much as an architect, so we thought it would be interesting to see what she could do with our shed, too,” Greg Gushee, a Related executive vice president, said.

Equal parts civic gesture and promotional material, the shed is made of a taut swoop of diaphanous white and silver Serge Ferrari fabric. It resembles an oversize light reflector like those seen on the movie and photo shoots that also block sidewalks across the city.

“I think it quite looks like a spaceship,” Karen Reinhard said admiringly last Thursday, out for a stroll on the High Line with her family while on vacation from Manchester, England. “It enfolds you, and sort of creates a view and blocks the view at the same time.”