520 West 28th Street
East facade from West 28th Street.
Installation continues on the hand-rubbed metal screen at Related's 520 W 28 residential condo tower. Designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, the 11-story, 40-unit condo flanks the western edge of the High Line at 28th Street. The metal screen functions as a finished cover for the concrete slabs, which are not covered by the glass panels of the window wall system. Hadid uses the slab covering as an opportunity to express and emphasize the softened edges at the corners and create the building's signature element of floors that meld with walls. The intricacy of their shapes require a technological artisanry, as they are formed by unique, laser cut pieces.
North facade from the High Line.
Close-up of the curved glass corners and metal screen.
Close-up of the metal screen at the north facade.
Close-up of the metal screen at the north façade.
North façade from West 28th Street.
Looking up at the metal screen on the north façade.
Close-up of the metal screen at the north façade.
Northwest corner of the north façade.
Close-up of the northwest corner.
Close-up of the northwest corner.
When completed, the building should be a fitting testament to the avant garde vision of Zaha Hadid, who died earlier this year.
Looking north from the High Line towards 520 W 28 (left), 10 Hudson Yards (right), and 507 W 28 (far right).
Architects: Zaha Hadid Architects; Developer: Related; Program: Residential; Location: Chelsea, New York, NY; Completion: 2017.
VIA 57 WEST at 625 West 57th Street
Construction is wrapping up at the Durst Organization's VIA 57 WEST on the Hudson River waterfront. Designed by Bjarke Ingels of BIG, the 470-foot-tall "courtscraper" includes 709 residential rental units and 45,000-square-feet of commercial retail space. Renters began to move in this past spring and now the building's amenities have opened, with the branding of VIA Garden, VIA Social, and VIA Fit.
VIA Garden
Designed by Starr Whitehouse, the building's 22,000-square-foot courtyard features native plants and trees, along with seating and an outdoor grilling area.
Looking west from the courtyard entrance.
Looking up from the courtyard.
The courtyard's winding brick path and newly planted trees.
Organic bench seating in the courtyard.
Looking east from the western edge of the courtyard.
Hudson River view from the western edge of the courtyard.
Hudson River view from the western edge of the courtyard.
VIA Social: East Resident Lounge
East resident lounge seating with a view of Stephen Glassman Studio's "Flows Two Ways."
Detail of Stephen Glassman Studio's "Flow Two Ways."
VIA Social: West Resident Lounge
VIA Social: Poker Room
Poker room.
Poker room.
VIA Fit
Indoor half basketball court.
Indoor half basketball court.
Developer: The Durst Organization; Architect: BIG (Design Architect), SLCE Architects (Architect of Record); Engineer: Thornton Tomasetti Group Inc.; Exterior Wall: Enclos Corp.; Landscape Architect: Starr Whitehouse Landscape Architects; Program: Residential, Retail; Location: Hell's Kitchen, New York, NY; Completion: 2016.
Amazon Headquarters Seattle
Tech companies are in the midst of a massive building boom, with major office expansions underway at almost every top company. While most have opted for expanding in low rise structures in sprawling suburban complexes, Amazon has chosen to establish a vertical campus in the Denny Triangle neighborhood of downtown Seattle. The current plan calls for a cluster of 3 37-story towers that, when completed in 2021, will provide enough space for 55,000 employees. Design of the campus has been overseen by the Seattle headquarters of international firm NBBJ.
Tower 1: Doppler
Standing at 524 feet in height, the first tower is located at 2021 7th Avenue and has been given the name Doppler, the former codename of the company's popular Echo voice assistant device. The glass curtain wall features vertical fins and spandrel panels in a variety of designs and colors, varying at each face of the tower. Amenities for Amazon's employees, some of whom moved in last December, include a self serve food market, an outdoor area for grilling, a dog park on the 17th floor, video game room, and 3-d printers.
Tower 2
The second tower on the Amazon campus, located at 2101 7th Avenue, rises to 521 feet in height. Like tower 1, the second tower features a glass curtain wall but opts for a mostly horizontal articulation with slab caps and glass frit. At the base of the tower, three 80 to 90 feet tall steel-and-glass spheres will house more office and retail space alongside full sized trees and plants.
Work on the third tower is in the early stages and should be complete by 2021..
Architect: NBBJ; Client: Amazon; Program: Office, Retail; Location: Denny Triangle, Seattle, Washington; Completion: 2016 (Tower 1), 2017 (Tower 2), 2021 (Tower 3).
83 Walker
Construction is wrapping up on the exterior wall at 83 Walker Street in Tribeca, one of the latest residential projects from Morris Adjmi Architects. The nine-story, mid-block building features a creamy concrete façade with columns and window bays cast into the surface, giving the appearance that the building across the street has been pressed into the concrete.
Architect: Morris Adjmi Architects; Developer: Abra Construction Corp.; Program: Residential; Location: Tribeca, New York, NY; Completion: 2016.
325 West Broadway
Exterior work has wrapped up at DDG's XOCO 325, the nine-story, 21-unit residential condo and retail development at 325 West Broadway. The project is built on the site of a former chocolate factory, hence the name XOCO, the Catalan word for chocolate.
Construction scaffolding has been completely removed from the West Broadway elevation, fully revealing the wood and glass ground floor façade and the signature cast-aluminum screen above. Referencing the historic neighborhood's cast-iron facades, XOCO 325's screen floats above the future ground floor retail space and creates a space for vertical gardens in front of the glass window wall. The design of the screen evokes the imagery of bones or joints. Burlap was integrated into the formwork at the street facing side of the screen, providing a unique pattern for each unit. On the opposite, unit-facing side of the screen, an imprint of a worker's hand was CNC milled into the formwork to provide further texture.
Architect/Developer: DDG; Program: Residential, Retail; Location: SoHo, New York, NY; Completion: 2016.
Park Grove
Work is underway on Park Grove, the three tower development from OMA in the Coconut Grove neighborhood of Miami. The three luxury residential towers are sited on 5.2 acres across from Regatta Park. Currently, concrete superstructure has just started to rise above ground along the southern boundary of the site. Completion is expected in 2018.
Architect: Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA); Developers: Terra Group with Related Group; Interiors: Meyer Davis; Landscapes: Enzo Enea; Program: Residential; Location: Coconut Grove, Miami, Florida; Completion: 2018.
443 Greenwich
Northeast corner from Desbrosses Street.
Construction scaffolding has come down at 443 Greenwich, a 7-story restoration and renovation of an 1884 structure designed by Charles C. Haight. Once a book bindery, the structure will now house 53 large condo units from developers Metro Loft.
North facade detail.
Looking up at the north facade.
The building is located in the Tribeca North Historic District and is bounded by Desbrosses Street, Vestry Street, and Greenwich Street. Exterior detailing on the landmarked 7-story building includes more than 600 shutters that are being restored or replicated. A 4,000 square-foot courtyard populated with sassafras trees and designed by HM White is located at the center of the building's massive footprint.
Northwest corner at Greenwich Street and Desbrosses Street.
Residents can enter the building from a private drop off located under the courtyard, which also offers a 15-car parking garage with charging stations. The barrel vaulted drop off and garage is accessed from the north or south via a gated ramp.
North facade detail.
Northwest corner at Greenwich Street and Desbrosses Street.
Also located in the cellar are the bulk of the building's amenities including: a 71 foot indoor lap pool, hamam (Turkish steam bath), a gym with yoga room run by the Wright Fit, a temperature controlled wine cellar, storage rooms, children's playroom, and a bike room.
Southwest corner at Greenwich Street and Vestry Street.
443 Greenwich will contain 45 loft-style homes ranging from 2,900 SF to 4,250 SF, and 8 penthouses ranging from 5,000 SF to 9,300 SF, with interiors by CetraRuddy Architects. The 53 units will feature a modern take on the industrial Tribeca style. Exposed existing wood columns and beams and high ceilings will be complemented by modern conveniences, such as a 70 bottle wine fridge, two dishwashers, a warming drawer for cappuccino cups, custom door hardware, standalone tubs, marble accent walls in the bathrooms, and bidets.
The project should be completed later this year.
West facade.
West facade detail.
Architects: CetraRuddy Architects; Landscape Architects: HM White; Developers: Metro Loft Developers LLC; Design: Pentagram; Program: Residential; Location: Tribeca, New York, NY; Completion: 2016.
CUMC Medical and Graduate Education Building
Construction is wrapping up at Columbia University Medical College's new Graduate and Education Building in Washington Heights. Designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro with Gensler, the 14-story tower will house classroom, simulation and training facilities for the college when it opens this August. Dedicated on June 9, the building has been renamed the Roy and Diana Vagelos Education Center, after its initial donors P. Roy Vagelos, MD, a alumnus of Columbia’s College of Physicians and Surgeons (P&S), and his wife, Diana Vagelos, an alumna of Barnard College and vice chair of the Trustees of Barnard College.
The building's iconic feature is the "Study Cascade," a south facing 14-story space, connected by a grand stair, with outdoor rooms and terraces to foster collaborative learning amongst students and faculty. Cement panels and wood clad the interior features of the "Study Cascade," while the exterior enclosure of floor-to-ceiling glass allows for open views of Manhattan and the Hudson River.
Construction is slated for completion some time next year, with the goal of achieving LEED gold certification.
Southeast corner from Haven Avenue.
Southeast corner from Haven Avenue.
Looking up at the southeast corner from Haven Avenue.
East façade from West 171st Street.
Close-up of the east facade.
Close-up of the east facade.
South facade and outdoor stair.
Close-up of outdoor stair and southwest corner.
South facade and outdoor stair.
Ground floor south facade and outdoor stair.
Building name signage at the southeast corner of the lobby.
Lobby.
Interior grand stair.
Ground floor spandrel glazing at the east facade.
Looking up at the south facade.
Southwest corner.
Southwest corner.
Close-up of the southwest corner.
Close-up of the southeast corner.
Close-up of the southeast corner.
Close-up of the southeast corner.
Architects: Diller Scofidio + Renfro with Gensler; Structural Engineer: Leslie E. Robertson Associates (LERA); Program: Education; Location: Washington Heights, New York, NY; Completion: 2016.
The William Vale
Construction is wrapping up at Zelig Weiss and Riverside Developers’ The William Vale, a 21-story, 250-foot tower at 111 North 12th Street, in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn.
View from the East River.
Designed by Albo Liberis, the mixed-use tower includes a 183-key four-star hotel at the top half. A duplex presidential suite occupies the top two floors, with a double height view of Brooklyn and the Manhattan skyline. The grand opening for the hotel is slated for July 11.
View from the East River.
Close-up of the hotel balconies.
Southwest corner from Wythe Avenue and North 12th Street.
Northwest corner from Wythe Avenue and North 13th Street.
Looking up at the north facade from North 13th Street.
Northeast corner from North 13th Street.
Close-up of the hotel balconies.
Southeast corner North 12th Street.
Southeast corner North 12th Street.
Rooftop
A large outdoor event space at the top floor offers a panoramic view of Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan. Andrew Carmellini and NoHo Hospitality Group will operate a rooftop bar that will open this summer.
Rooftop event space.
Panoramic view of Manhattan from the rooftop event space under construction.
View of Brooklyn from the outdoor event space.
Hotel Floor
Hotel floor signage.
Hotel floor elevator lobby.
Hotel corridor.
Hotel room number signage.
Hotel room entry.
Furniture detail.
Panoramic view from the private balcony.
Private balcony.
View of Long Island City from the private balcony.
View of Midtown from the private balcony.
Retail, Amenity, and Public Green Space
At the base of the tower, hotel guests will find resort-class amenities along with 20,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space. A 15,000 square foot rooftop garden will provide green space to the public and will be accessible from a stair that cuts through the retail space. Included on the rooftop space, the hotel pool will be the longest hotel pool in the city at 60 feet.
Looking down on the rooftop garden from a hotel room balcony.
Rooftop garden details.
Stairway up to the rooftop garden space.
Architect: Albo Liberis; Developer: Zelig Weiss and Riverside Developers; Program: Hotel, Retail, Office; Location: Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY; Completion: July 2016.
The Surf Club
A massive new development is underway at the site of the Russel Pancoast-designed Surf Club at Surfside Beach in Miami. Developed by Nadim Ashi's Fort Partners development company, The Surf Club features two new towers and an extensive renovation of the original 1930 Surf Club structures, all situated on a nine acre site with 965 feet of Atlantic Ocean frontage.
Looking north from Atlantic Way.
The Surf Club will feature a 77-room Four Seasons Hotel and 150 residences designed by Meier and designer Lee Mindel. Twelve penthouses will top both towers and be offered in simplex, duplex, and triplex configurations. The penthouses range in size from 5,400 to 7,500 square feet and feature large amounts of private outdoor terraces.
Southeast corner from Surfside Beach.
View of the site from Surfside Beach.
New York architect Richard Meier & Partners is leading the design, which features Meier's signature Modernist details and focus on transparency. The façade is dominated by a glass curtain wall that allows for floor to ceiling views out to the beach or the city from the hotel and condo units. For now, the façade has an intense blue tone due to the removable protective wrap over the glass.
East elevation from Surfside Beach.
East facade of the residential and hotel south tower.
East façade of the north tower.
Looking up at the east façade of the north tower.
Northeast corner of the residential north tower.
Façade mock-up in the foreground with the north tower in the background.
Façade corner close-up.
Northwest corner of the north tower.
West façade of the north tower.
Northwest corner of the south tower.
West façade of the south tower.
Southwest corner of the residential and hotel south tower from Collins Avenue.
The original 1930 Surf Club is undergoing an extensive restoration and renovation as part of the new development and will house some of the many amenities offered: private membership club, two restaurants, four swimming pools, spa and fitness center, beach cabanas, park, and oceanside gardens. Meier has collaborated with designer Lee Mindel on the new public spaces.
Inside "Peacock Alley" at the original Surf Club, undergoing extensive renovations.
East façade of the original Surf Club.
Original Surf Club façade detail.
The new courtyard.
The glass façade of the new residential tower, seen from the courtyard.
Inside the original Surf Club, under renovations.
Panorama of the view of Surfside Beach from the amenity deck.
Looking south at Surfside Beach from a penthouse unit.
Panorama of the penthouse view of Surfside Beach.
Penthouse outdoor terraces.
Panorama of a penthouse city view to the west.
Architects: Richard Meier & Partners Architects (Design Architect) with Kobi Karp Architecture & Interior Design (Executive Architect); Developer: Fort Partners; Interiors: Richard Meier & Partners Architects, Lee Mindel, Joseph Dirand; Landscape: Fernando Wong; Program: Hotel, Residential Condo; Location: Surfside, Miami, Florida; Completion: Late 2016.