Hudson Yards
Progress continues at Related's Hudson Yards mega-project on the Far West Side of Manhattan.
Hudson Yards' first phase at the eastern rail yards continues to make significant progress. Steel superstructure at the second office tower, 30 Hudson Yards, continues its rise at the northeastern corner of the rail yards. Designed by KPF, the 92-story, 1,287-foot tower will house Time Warner Inc. and feature an open-air observation deck.
Looking south towards 30 Hudson Yards (foreground) and 10 Hudson Yards (background) from West 34th Street.
Northeast corner of the Hudson Yards site with 30 Hudson Yards (right), the retail podium (center) and 10 Hudson Yards (left).
North facade of 30 Hudson Yards from West 33rd Street.
At the corner of West 30th Street and 10th Avenue, the mega developments' first office tower has topped out and is almost fully clad with its glass curtain wall. Also designed by KPF, the 52-story tower at 10 Hudson Yards will house the likes of Coach, Loreal, and SAP.
Looking up at the northeast corner of 10 Hudson Yards and the retail podium from 10th Avenue.
Looking up at the northeast corner of 10 Hudson Yards from 10th Avenue.
Looking up at the east facade of 10 Hudson Yards from 10th Avenue.
Work is also underway on the retail building located in between the two office towers, with superstructure topped out and work underway on the east façade. The 1,000,000 square feet retail structure is designed by Elkus Manfredi Architects and will be anchored by the Nieman Marcus department store chain.
Looking up at the east facade of the retail building with 10 Hudson Yards rising above (left).
Southeast corner of 10 Hudson Yards and the retail podium from West 30th Street.
Southeast corner of 10 Hudson Yards and the retail podium from West 30th Street.
Looking west along West 30th Street.
Looking up at the southeast corner of 10 Hudson Yards.
Looking up at the south façade of 10 Hudson Yards.
South façade of 10 Hudson Yards from the High Line.
The first residential tower, 15 Hudson Yards, has yet to progress beyond the excavation and foundation stage of construction. Designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro with Ismael Leyva Architects, the 70-story condo and rental tower has already seen a significant redesign that has stripped the tower of its most ambitious features.
Looking north from the High Line towards 15 Hudson Yards (foreground) and 30 Hudson Yards (right).
Looking east towards 10 Hudson Yards (right) and 30 Hudson Yards (left) from the High Line.
Looking east towards 10 Hudson Yards (right) and 30 Hudson Yards (left) from the High Line.
Looking east towards 10 Hudson Yards (right) and 30 Hudson Yards (left) from the High Line.
Looking east towards 10 Hudson Yards (right) and 30 Hudson Yards (left) from the High Line.
Looking east towards 30 Hudson Yards (left) and 10 Hudson Yards (right) from West 33rd Street.
Northwest corner of 10 Hudson Yards.
Northwest corner of 30 Hudson Yards (foreground) and 10 Hudson Yards (background) from Hudson Park.
Architects: KPF (10 Hudson Yards, 30 Hudson Yards, 55 Hudson Yards, Retail), Diller Scofidio + Renfro (Culture Shed) with Ismael Leyva Architects (15 Hudson Yards), KRJDA (55 Hudson Yards); Developers: Related Companies, Oxford Properties Group; Program: Office, Retail; Location: Hudson Yards, New York, NY; Completion: 2016 (10 Hudson Yards), 2017 (55 Hudson Yards), 2018 (15 Hudson Yards, 35 Hudson Yards, Retail, Public Square), 2019 (30 Hudson Yards).
525 West 52nd Street
Construction is underway at Handel Architects' 525 West 52nd Street development in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan.
Construction is underway at 525 West 52nd Street, a two-tower rental development in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan. Developed by Taconic Investment Partners and Mitsui Fudosan America, the project brings 392 rental units to the neighborhood.
Handel Architects' design for the project includes a 22-story tower on West 53rd Street and a 14-story tower fronting West 52nd Street. Both towers are connected by a ground floor lobby and retail space that spans the block. A 13,486-square-foot courtyard will be located between the two towers at the second floor, offering an open space amenity. Combined, the towers will offer 392 units 80 of which will be offered through the affordable housing program.
Concrete superstructure has reached the sixth floor at the West 53rd Street tower and the seventh floor at the West 52nd Street tower. Completion is expected for 2017.
Northwest corner from the intersection of 11th Avenue and West 53rd Street.
Northwest corner from West 53rd Street.
Northwest corner from West 53rd Street.
North facade from West 53rd Street.
Northeast corner from West 53rd Street.
Southeast corner from the intersection of 10th Avenue and West 52nd Street.
Southeast corner from West 52nd Street.
Southeast corner from West 52nd Street.
South facade from West 52nd Street.
Looking up at the south facade from West 52nd Street.
South facade from West 52nd Street.
Looking east towards the northwest corner of the project and the Mercedes House from De Witt Clinton Park.
Architect: Handel Architects; Developer: ; Program: Residential, Retail; Location: Midtown, New York, NY; Completion: 2017.
Court Square
Construction is underway on a three tower block at Court Square that exemplifies the developement boom in Long Island City.
Long Island City is currently undergoing a major development boom, rivaling any other New York neighborhood in this current period of thriving construction. In the LIC neighborhood of Court Square, projects seems to be announced daily and cranes dominate the skyline. One block in particular epitomizes this growth. Bounded by Jackson Avenue to the north and Purves Street and 44th Drive to the east and west, this block currently has three towers under construction simultaneously.
At the intersection of Jackson Avenue and 44th Drive.
Not yet out of the ground, Twining Properties' 27-story, 150,000 square foot rental tower will sit mid block, facing 44th Drive. Known as Watermark Court Square, the Handel Architects' designed tower will offer 168 units in a mix of studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments. At the ground floor, the building will offer 2,500 square feet of retail space.
Northwest corner of Watermark Court Square (center) and 27-21 44th Drive (right).
Directly adjacent to the Twining Properties' tower, Silvercup Studios is developing a 26-story, 120 unit condo tower at 27-21 44th Drive. GF55 Partners is designing and construction is out of the ground, having reached the fifth floor with its concrete superstructure. Along with the 105,562 square feet of residential space, the ground floor will feature 6,780-square feet of commercial space.
Northwest corner of Watermark Court Square (left) and 27-21 44th Drive (right).
West facade of 27-21 44th Drive.
The third project on the block, a 35-story rental tower at 44-28 Purves Street, sits at the south end, nearest to Thomson Avenue. Developed by Brause Realty and the Gotham Organization, the tower features a massing of layered vertical slabs that will increase the number of corner units from the typical rectangular extruded site footprint of many towers. The tower's east west orientation will offer residents with views towards Queens to the east and Lower Manhattan to the west. A mix of studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments will be offered from the tower's 270 units. Retail space and amenities will be located in a two story podium that spans the block.
Looking north from the intersection of 44th Drive and Thomson Avenue with 43-25 Hunter Street (far left), Watermark Court Square (left), 27-21 44th Drive (right), and 44-28 Purves Street (far right).
Looking north towards 44-28 Purves Street from Thomson Avenue.
44-28 Purves Street from Thomson Avenue.
South facade of 44-28 Purves Street.
Looking north towards 27-21 44th Drive (left) and 44-28 Purves Street (right).
Looking south on Purves Street towards 44-28 Purves Street.
Northeast corner of 44-28 Purves Street.
Looking up at the east facade of 44-28 Purves Street.
Architects: Handel Architects (Watermark Court Square), GF55 Partners (27-21 44th Drive) FXFOWLE (44-28 Purves Street); Developers: Twining Properties (Watermark Court Square), Silvercup Studios (27-21 44th Drive), Brause Realty and the Gotham Organization (44-28 Purves Street); Program: Residential, Retail; Location: Court Square, Long Island City, NY; Completion: 2017.
Pacific Park
Checking in on the progress at the Pacific Park mega project in Brooklyn.
Greenland Forest City Partners’ 17-building mega development, Pacific Park, continues to make progress on its first phase of towers.
First to begin construction in 2013, SHoP Architects' 32-story modular tower at 461 Dean Street has reached the final eight floors. Work resumed on the project in early 2015 after a dispute between the developer, Forest City Ratner Companies, and the construction team, Skanska, led to a work halt in 2014. The tower, located adjacent to the Barclays Center, features a massing of three stacked, rectangular volumes, each with their own facade design. The 363 units are composed of modules built at the Brooklyn Navy Yard and delivered on site, ready to stack.
Looking south on Flatbush Avenue towards the Barclays Center (left) and 461 Dean (right).
Close-up of the northwest corner of 461 Dean from the Barclays Center.
Northwest corner of 461 Dean from Flatbush Avenue.
Looking up at the west facade of 461 Dean from Flatbush Avenue.
Looking up at the southwest corner from Flatbush Avenue.
South facade from Flatbush Avenue.
Looking up at the south facade from Dean Street.
Southeast corner of 461 Dean from Dean Street.
Aerial view of 461 Dean (left) and Barclays Center (right).
Pacific Park's second affordable housing tower, 535 Carlton, has been rising quickly since its start last year. Designed by COOKFOX Architects, the 18-story tower at the corner of Dean Street and Carlton Avenue, will offer 298 affordable units in a predominantly brick structure that seeks to address the neighborhood context. Currently the projects superstructure has reached the 16th floor.
Aerial view of the north facade of 535 Carlton.
Northwest corner of 535 Carlton (right) and 550 Vanderbilt (left) from Carlton Avenue.
North facade of 535 Carlton.
Aerial View of the east facade of 535 Carlton from 550 Vanderbilt.
Southeast corner of 535 Carlton from Dean Street.
Southwest corner of 535 Carlton at the intersection of Dean Street and Carlton Avenue.
Southwest corner of 535 Carlton from Dean Street.
For an exclusive tour of Pacific Park's first market rate tower at 550 Vanderbilt, see my story on Brownstoner. COOKFOX Architects' 17-story, 278-unit tower at the corner of Dean Street and Vanderbilt Avenue has recently topped out and started receiving its brick and limestone facade panels.
Northeast corner of 550 Vanderbilt (left) and 535 Carlton (right) from Vanderbilt Avenue.
Architects: SHoP Architects (461 Dean, 30 6th Avenue), COOKFOX Architects (535 Carlton, 550 Vanderbilt); Landscape Architects: Thomas Balsley Associates; Master Plan: Gehry Partners LLP; Developers: Greenland Forest City Partners (Forest City Ratner Companies, Greenland USA); Program: Mixed Use (Residential, Office, Hotel, Retail, School, Healthcare, Sports Arena, Open Space); Location: Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, NY.
335 E 27
Construction scaffolding has come down at New York City's first micro units building, revealing its monochromatic brick facade.
Construction scaffolding has come down at Monadnock Development's micro unit apartment building at 335 East 27th Street, also known as Carmel Place, fully revealing the masonry facade. The monochromatic facade is composed of grey brick in a gradient of four tones, from dark grey at the tallest northern bay to light grey of the shortest southern bay.
Designed by nARCHITECTS, the project is the first micro units apartment building in New York and consists of 55 studio apartments for both market rate and affordable tenants. Each apartment is one module, offering 260 to 360 square feet of space. All modules were fabricated at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Completion of the project is slated for sometime this year.
Looking east from Bellevue South Park.
Southwest corner from Mount Carmel Place.
Close-up of the brick facade at the southwest corner.
Looking up at the southwest corner from Mount Carmel Place.
Looking up at the south facade.
Southeast corner.
Close-up of the south facade.
Close-up of the east facade.
Looking up at the east facade.
Southeast corner.
East elevation.
Close-up of the east facade at the upper floors.
East elevation from First Avenue.
Architect: nARCHITECTS; Module Manufacturer: Capsys; Developer: Monadnock Development; Program: Residential; Location: Kips Bay, New York, NY; Completion: 2016.
Spring Street Salt Shed
Dattner Architects and WXY's Spring Street Salt Shed had its first real test this past weekend, helping to dig out from New York City's second largest snowfall on record.
The onslaught of snow storm Jonas, New York City's second largest snowfall on record, brought the first real test for the city's new salt shed at Spring Street and the West Side Highway. Designed by Dattner Architects and WXY Architecture + Urban Design, the faceted concrete salt shed houses 4,000 tons of salt to combat the wintry precipitation. The form tapers towards the bottom, with glass pavers and lights installed along the periphery for dramatic uplighting of the structure at night. Entry gates along the Spring and Canal Street access points feature the "DSNY" identifier rendered in twisted vertical metal pickets, providing a graceful touch of design to what is often mundanely treated.
As a companion piece with the recently opened sanitation garage, the salt shed serves as a contemporary precedent for how urban infrastructure can serve to echo the values and aspirations of a city's architectural character.
Sanitation trucks head into the Manhattan Districts 1/2/5 Garage after a long day of plowing the aftermath of snow storm Jonas.
Looking south along the West Side Highway towards the Manhattan Districts 1/2/5 Garage (left) and the Spring Street Salt Shed (right).
The Manhattan Districts 1/2/5 Garage (left) and the Spring Street Salt Shed (right).
The Manhattan Districts 1/2/5 Garage (left) and the Spring Street Salt Shed (right).
Looking north along the West Side Highway towards the Manhattan Districts 1/2/5 Garage (left) and the Spring Street Salt Shed (right).
Southeast corner of the Spring Street Salt Shed.
Southeast corner of the Spring Street Salt Shed.
East facade of the Spring Street Salt Shed.
Close up of the sidewalk uplighting.
North facade of the Spring Street Salt Shed.
Northeast corner of the Spring Street Salt Shed.
Northeast corner of the Spring Street Salt Shed.
Looking west along Spring Street towards the Manhattan Districts 1/2/5 Garage (right) and the Spring Street Salt Shed (left).
Architect: Dattner Architects and WXY Architecture + Urban Design; Client: New York City Department of Sanitation; Program: Infrastructure; Location: Hudson Square, New York, NY; Completion: 2015.
16 West 40th Street - The Bryant
Installation of the precast concrete terrazzo facade panels is underway at HFZ Capital Group's 16 West 40th Street tower, designed by David Chipperfield Architects.
Facade panels have started to go up and superstructure continues to rise at the Bryant, a 33-story mixed-use tower in Midtown from HFZ Capital Group. The tower, whose structure has reached the fourteenth floor, is designed by David Chipperfield Architects in their signature modernist style that emphasizes a rationalist grid of windows and structure. Rather than rely on the exposed concrete structure, as seen in similar towers like 432 Park Avenue, the structural members are instead clad in precast concrete terrazzo panels. The windows, which have yet to be installed, are actually full-height sliding doors with a metal railing of vertical pickets. KPF's 27 Wooster in SoHo has also employed this strategy with its sliding glass doors and perforated metal and glass railing.
Looking east along West 40th Street.
The tower will offer a mix of uses including a 230-key hotel on floors 2 through 15, 57 condominium apartments on floors 16 through 33, and ground floor retail and restaurant. Amenities in the tower include lobby lounge, fitness center, bike storage and hotel specific amenities.
Looking up at the north facade.
Lower floors of the north facade.
Lower floors of the north facade.
Looking up at the north facade.
Panels installed on the ground floor of the north facade.
Panels installed on the ground floor of the north facade.
Closeup of the precast concrete terrazzo panel.
Looking west along West 40th Street.
Architect: David Chipperfield Architects; Developer: HFZ Capital Group; Program: Residential, Hotel, Retail; Location: Midtown, New York, NY; Completion: 2017.
South Street Seaport: Pier 17
The South Street Seaport's new retail development at Pier 17 starts to take shape as steel superstructure surpasses the halfway mark.
Steel superstructure is rising at the Howard Hughes Corporation's new retail center at Pier 17, a redevelopment of the site that formerly was home to Benjamin Thompson's 1983 structure of similar function. The 300,000 square foot retail project is designed by SHoP Architects, the firm also responsible for the nearby Pier 15 and the East River Waterfront Esplanade renovation.
Looking north towards Pier 17 from Pier 15.
With the approval of the Landmarks Commission in mid October of last year, the project has been making steady progress on the steel superstructure. Already, the structure has risen to the roof level for half of its final length.
South facade of Pier 17's new retail building.
The design had to ditch its 30 foot tall metal and glass roof canopy to gain approval, one of several concessions made along the way. A large sign to be mounted at the roof on the waterfront facing east facade was also abandoned earlier last year after facing harsh criticism. The biggest victory for NIMBY's came late last year as developers scrapped plans for a 43-story tower adjacent to the pier.
South facade of Pier 17's new retail building.
South facade of Pier 17's new retail building.
Closeup of the steel superstructure.
Looking south from the East River Esplanade.
Looking south from the East River Esplanade.
Architect: SHoP Architects; Developer: The Howard Hughes Corporation; Program: Retail; Location: Seaport District, New York, NY; Completion: 2017.
860 Washington
Curtain wall installation continues at James Carpenter's office building at 860 Washington Street along the High Line.
Curtain wall installation continues at Property Group Partners and Romanoff Equities' 860 Washington in the Meatpacking District. Designed by James Carpenter Design Associates, the ten-story, 113,848-square-foot office and retail tower flanks the High Line's eastern edge at West 13th Street.
Southeast corner from Washington Street.
James Carpenter, known for his implementation of glass in projects such as 7 World Trade Center and the Fulton Transit Center, has designed the tower with a floor-to-ceiling glass curtain wall on three of its four sides. Currently, the curtain wall has been installed on all but a few upper floor panels and the first three floors of the east facing facade along Washington Street. Carpenter's glass tower will contrast nicely with the industrial aesthetic of the historic brick structures and add to the recent diversity of materials from the likes of the Standard's concrete and the Whitney's metal facade.
East facade from Washington Street.
Looking south along Washington Street.
The majority of the north facade's cladding, a profiled terra-cotta panel to conceal the elevator core, has also been installed. By pushing the circulation core to the northern fringe, Carpenter maximizes light and views to the High Line from the office floors.
Northeast corner from Washington Street and West 14th Street.
North facade from West 14th Street.
Looking up at the west facade from the High Line.
West facade from the High Line.
Southwest corner from the High Line.
South facade from the High Line.
Close-up of the southwest corner of the tower.
Southeast corner of the Standard Hotel (far left) and 860 Washington (center) from the High Line park.
Southeast corner of the Standard Hotel (far left) and 860 Washington (center) from the High Line park.
Retail space on the first three floors will be accessible from Washington Street and visible to those strolling along the High Line.
Looking up at the south facade from West 13th Street.
The building is targeting LEED silver and is projected to open in 2016.
Looking north along Washington Street.
Architects: James Carpenter Design Associates; Developers: Property Group Partners with Romanoff Equities; Program: Office, Retail; Location: Meatpacking District, New York, NY; Completion: 2016.
626 First Avenue
The sloping towers of JDS's waterfront development at 626 First Avenue are rising fast and getting their connecting bridge of future residential amenities.
Superstructure is close to topping out at the north tower of 626 First Avenue, the two tower residential development from JDS Development Group and SHoP Architects. The 41 and 49 story residential rental towers slope towards each other with a connecting bridge that will host an indoor lap pool and lounge for the residents. Work has begun on the structure for the bridge as the first of the steel trusses has been erected.
Also marking another project milestone, the exterior envelope for both towers has reached the halfway mark. The project's signature copper cladding is featured on the north and south facades, while a glass curtain wall on the east and west facades allow for expansive views of the East River waterfront and the Midtown skyline.
Construction is slated to wrap up on both towers by 2017.
Looking north on First Avenue at East 34th Street.
Close-up of the skybridge under construction between the north (left) and south (right) towers.
Southwest corner of the site from First Avenue and East 35th Street.
Looking up at the south facade of the north (left) and south (right) towers from East 35th Street.
Looking up at the south facade of the north (left) and south (right) towers from East 35th Street.
Close-up of the south facade of the southeast tower.
Looking up at the south facade of the south tower from East 35th Street.
Southeast corner of the south tower from the East River Esplanade.
Looking north from the East River Esplanade.
East facade of the north (right) and south (left) towers from the East River Ferry terminal at East 35th Street.
Looking up at the north (right) and south (left) towers from the East River ferry terminal.
East facade of the north (right) and south (left) towers from the East River Ferry terminal at East 35th Street.
Northeast corner of the north tower.
Skybridge under construction between the north and south towers.
North facade of the south (left) and north (right) towers.
Northwest corner of the north tower.
West facade of the north tower.
West facade of both towers from
Architects: SHoP Architects; Developer: JDS Development Group; Program: Residential, Retail, Park; Location: Murray Hill, New York, NY; Completion: 2017.
