West Village Park
Work is wrapping up on New York's latest park, West Village Park, adjacent to the Greenwich Lane condos in the West Village neighborhood. Built as part of the agreement that developers Rudin Management and the Ofer family's Global Holdings, Inc. struck in 2011 to convert the old St. Vincent's Hospital into condos, the triangular park looks about ready to open. Design for the 16,000-square-foot park has been carried out by M. Paul Friedberg & Partners. The northwestern tip of the park will feature the AIDS Memorial, a triangulated canopy designed by Studio a+1. No signs of progress on that structure is visible at the moment. Signs posted around the site indicate the park is opening soon.
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Landscape Architects: M. Paul Friedberg & Partners; Program: Park; Location: West Village, New York, NY; Completion: 2015.
626 First Avenue
Much progress is being made at 626 First Avenue, a two tower residential development from JDS Development Group. Located in the Murray Hill neighborhood of Manhattan, the SHoP Architects' designed towers will rise 41 and 49 stories and slope towards each other, with a connecting sky bridge. Currently, structure has reached the 20th floor on the north tower, while the south tower lags behind at the sixth floor. Exterior wall installation has also begun on the north tower, with the copper and glass panels reaching the sixth floor. Constructed is slated to finish by early 2017.
Northwest corner of the site from First Avenue.
Closeup view of the copper and glass facade on the northwest corner of the north tower.
Looking up at the copper and glass north facade of the north building.
Northeast corner of the site from East 36th Street with the north (right) and south (left) towers.
Closeup view of the copper and glass facade of the northeast corner of the north tower.
The East River waterfront with 626 First Avenue rising on the far right.
A view of the site from the East River.
A view of the site from the East River.
A view of the site from the East River ferry terminal.
South facade of the south tower from East 35th Street.
Closeup view of the structure of the north (left) and south (right) towers from East 35th Street.
Southwest corner of the south tower from East 35th Street.
Southwest corner of the site with the north tower (left), south tower (right), and PS 281 (center).
Looking north on First Avenue.
Looking up at the west facade of the north tower (left) from First Avenue.
West facade of the north tower.
Closeup of the west facade of the north tower.
The East River waterfront with 626 First Avenue rising on the far left.
Architects: SHoP Architects; Developer: JDS Development Group; Program: Residential, Retail; Location: Murray Hill, New York, NY; Completion: 2017.
252 East 57th Street
Superstructure has reached past the 40th floor at 252 East Fifty Seven, a 65-story residential tower in the Midtown East neighborhood of Manhattan. From developers World Wide Group and Rose Associates, the tower joins the already completed public schools PS 59 and the High School of Art & Design, as well as a Whole Foods in an adjacent base completed in 2012. While originally designed by Roger Duffy of SOM as an iconic, angular structure, the final design under construction is a basic extruded rectangular volume. To break up the facades, a concave slice rips vertically through the three street facing elevations, and the glass curtain wall transitions from flat panels to curved. As the façade flexes inward, a balcony clad in similar curved glass railing is formed alongside. The building will include 175 rental units on the lower floors and 93 condo units above, starting on the 36th floor. Completion is expected next year.
Looking east along East 57th Street.
Northeast corner from Second Avenue.
Closeup view of the north façade with curved façade element.
Looking south along Second Avenue.
Closeup view of the northeast corner of the tower.
Looking up towards the east façade from Second Avenue.
Southeast corner from Second Avenue.
Closeup view of the southeast corner of the tower.
Looking up towards the south façade from East 56th Street.
Closeup view of the south façade with curved façade element.
Architects: SOM (Design Architect), SLCE (Architect of Record); Interior Architect: Daniel Romualdez; Engineer: WSP; Developers: World Wide Group and Rose Associates; Program: Residential; Location: Midtown East, New York, NY; Completion: 2016.
100 E 53
Superstructure has reached the 20th floor at One Hundred East Fifty Third Street, a residential tower adjacent to the Seagram Building in the Midtown East neighborhood of Manhattan. The 61-story, 94-unit residential condo tower is developed by RFR and Hines with Norman Foster of Foster + Partners leading the design. With the rise of the concrete structure, there is a hint of the pleated exterior envelope yet to be installed. The aluminum and glass cladding features vertical folds across the podium and tower. When completed, the tower will join other recent Foster-designed towers in New York, including the nearby 50 UN Plaza.
Northeast corner from Lexington Avenue.
Northeast corner from Lexington Avenue.
East façade from East 53rd Street.
East façade from East 53rd Street.
East façade from Lexington Avenue.
West façade from East 53rd Street.
Architects: Foster + Partners (Design Architects), SLCE Architects (Executive Architects);Interior Design: William T. Georgis; Owners: RFR, Vanke; Developers: RFR, Hines; Program: Residential, Retail; Location: East Midtown, New York, NY; Completion: 2017.
205 E 92
Superstructure has nearly topped out at Related's 205 E 92, a 36-story, 230-unit residential rental tower in the Yorkville neighborhood on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Concrete has reached the 34th floor slab of the tower with topping out looking likely by late July or early August. Installation of the brick and glass facade is also well underway, with brick surpassing the half way mark and glass enclosing over a third of the tower. Along with rentals and the requisite amount of amenities, the project also includes an outpost of the Windward School in the podium. The tower is designed by Handel Architects and should be completed sometime next year.
Northwest corner from Third Avenue.
West facade from Third Avenue with existing building in the foreground.
Closeup of the west facade.
Southwest corner from Third Avenue.
Closeup of the southwest corner of the tower.
South facade from East 92nd Street.
Southeast corner from East 92nd Street.
Northeast corner from East 93rd Street.
Northeast corner of the podium.
Architects: Handel Architects; Developer: Related; Program: Residential; Location: Upper East Side, New York, NY; Completion: 2016.
520 West 28th Street
Superstructure has started rising above ground at Related's 520 W 28, reaching the third floor. Designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, the 11-story, 40-unit condo flanks the western edge of the High Line at 28th Street. This is quite a busy intersection of the elevated park, with construction underway on the three building 507 W 28 development on the adjacent site to the north.
The building employs Hadid's signature flow of form that has made her an international star. Curved glass at the corners of the l-shaped building soften the overall extrusion of the site's form. Expression of the floor slabs on the facade slope to meet each other, creating zones of intersection. On the High Line facing east facade, floor slabs extend past the glass enclosure and curve upwards, melding with the floor slab above while creating a sheltered balcony.
All eyes are on the project, as the first built work by Hadid's firm in New York. Completion is slated for late 2016.
Northeast corner of the site from the High Line's West 28th Street stairs.
Looking west from the High Line's West 28th Street stairs.
Looking south from the High Line's West 28th Street stairs.
Reflection of the site on the newly installed facade of 507 W 28.
Northeast corner of the site from the High Line.
Looking west from the High Line.
Southeast corner from the High Line with 507 W 28 (right) and 30 Hudson Yards (far right) under construction in the background.
Northwest corner of the site from West 28th Street.
Architects: Zaha Hadid Architects; Developers: Related; Program: Residential; Location: Chelsea, New York, NY; Completion: 2016.
215 Chrystie
Superstructure progress continues at 215 Chrystie, with concrete reaching the sixth floor slab. The 28-story tower from developers Ian Schrager and the Witkoff Group will include 370 hotel rooms under the PUBLIC brand at the lower levels and 11 condos on the upper floors. Pritzker Prize winning architects Herzog & de Meuron have designed the tower as a rectangular extrusion with a setback volume for the upper condo floors. Sloping floor-to-ceiling glass panels are set in between angular, exposed concrete columns. Interiors on the luxury condos will be designed by John Pawson, with both half floor and full floor units. The top of the tower will be capped with a three story mechanical penthouse. Completion is slated for the fourth quarter of next year.
Northeast corner from Chrystie Street.
East facade from Chrystie Street.
Southeast corner from Chrystie Street.
Southeast corner.
Closeup of the sloping, cast-in-place concrete columns
Southeast corner from Chrystie Street.
Marketing signage on site.
Architects: Herzog & de Meuron (Design Architect), Beyer Blinder Belle (Architect of Record); Interiors: John Pawson; Developers: Ian Schrager with the Witkoff Group; Program: Hotel, Condo; Location: Bowery, New York, NY; Completion: Late 2016.
71 Laight Street - The Sterling Mason
Façade installation has reached substantial completion at Taconic's The Sterling Mason in the Tribeca neighborhood. Designed by Morris Adjmi Architects, the project consists of an existing six-story coffee and tea warehouse structure built in 1905, with a new structure fronting on Greenwich Street. The existing building is clad in red brick and terracotta, while the new structure is clad in an aluminum prefab panel skin with a plasma finish that emulates a brick façade. The renovation and neighboring addition will bring 32 condo units to this rapidly growing neighborhood.
Northeast corner from Greenwich Street.
East façade from Greenwich Street.
Closeup of the northeast corner from Greenwich Street.
North façade from Laight Street.
Northwest corner from Washington Street.
West façade from Washington Street.
Closeup of the north façade.
Southeast corner of 408 Greenwich (center) and the Sterling Mason (right).
Architects: Morris Adjmi Architects; Interiors: Gachot; Landscape Architect: Deborah Nevins & Associates; Developer: Taconic Investment Partners; Program: Residential; Location: Tribeca, New York, NY; Completion: 2016.
33 E 74
The construction scaffolding has come down at the renovated brownstones next to the former Whitney Museum. Formerly owned by the museum, the rowhouses are being converted into ten condo units ranging from three to five bedrooms in size. A new three-story penthouse structure has been built on the roof.
West façade from Madison Avenue.
Closeup of the west façade.
West façade from Madison Avenue.
Southwest corner from Madison Avenue with the former Whitney Museum (left).
Closeup of the penthouse addition.
South façade from East 74th Street.
South façade from East 74th Street.
South façade from East 74th Street.
Looking west along East 74th Street.
Architects: Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners; Interiors: Champalimaud Interior Design; Developer: JZS Madison, LLC; Program: Residential; Location: Upper East Side, New York, NY; Completion: 2015.
400 West 113th Street - Enclave at the Cathedral
Structure has topped out at the residential towers adjacent to the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Developed by the Brodsky Organization and designed by Handel Architects, the towers feature an exposed concrete structure with shaped concrete piers at the primary façade along West 113th Street. These piers reference the buttresses of the cathedral directly behind and animate the façade with their pattern of sloping from floor to floor. Installation of the black framed windows that occupy the space between the concrete piers has also made significant progress, with only a handful of floors left to be enclosed on each tower. When completed, the two towers will bring 428 residential rental units to the Morningside Heights neighborhood and a revenue stream to the church from the lease of the land.
A southeast view of the east tower (right) and the cathedral (left) from Morningside Park.
A view of the east tower from Morningside Park.
A view of the east tower from Morningside Drive.
The northeast corner of the towers from Morningside Drive.
Northwest corner of the east tower from West 113th Street.
A view of the cathedral between the two towers.
Northeast corner of the west tower from West 113th Street.
Facade detail.
North facade of the west tower from West 113th Street.
A view of the cathedral between the two towers.
A view of the cathedral between the two towers.
Southwest corner of the west tower from Amsterdam Avenue.
New site signage for the building identity.
Architect: Handel Architects; Developer: The Brodsky Organization; Program: Residential; Location: Morningside Heights, New York, NY; Completion: 2016.
Thomas Phifer and Partners · Battery Park City · 2025