One Manhattan Square
One Manhattan Square rising on the East River waterfront.
Superstructure is rising and curtain wall installation is underway at Extell's One Manhattan Square, a residential condominium tower on the Lower East Side waterfront. Designed by Adamson Associates, the 800-foot-tall tower replaces a former Pathmark grocery store. As the tower surpasses the one-third mark of its final height, I took a tour inside to check out the progress and the views.
One Manhattan Square is part of the recent surge of waterfront development in Lower Manhattan. The city has undertaken a multi-year project to upgrade the East River Esplanade, Pier 17 is undergoing a major retail reconstruction, and construction of residential towers are following. One Manhattan Square is at the forefront of residential development in this neighborhood, with construction progress far ahead of nearby 1 Seaport.
East River waterfront skyline.
One Manhattan Square rising next to the Manhattan Bridge.
View from the East River Esplanade.
Design of the exterior curtain wall of the tower includes two different wall types. At the north and south facades, panels are floor to ceiling glass with a bronze metal spandrel at the floor slab. For the east and west facades, flat glass panels are alternated with panels that tilt outward from the floor or the ceiling, adding dimension to the façade and a more dynamic reflection to the glass.
Curtain wall installation ongoing at the west facade.
View of the north facade from Pike Street and Cherry Street.
Concrete columns at the ground floor entry.
The future residential lobby under construction.
The tower will offer 815 residential condo units designed by Meyer Davis with luxury finishes and top of the line appliances from Miele and Subzero. A choice between dark and light kitchen finish packages will be offered to residents for customization of the residence to their tastes. Views from the tower, even at its current height, are panoramic, affording views of New York's iconic architecture and waterfront from Lower Manhattan to Midtown to Brooklyn.
Looking west towards the Lower Manhattan skyline from the residential tower.
A view of Lower Manhattan's iconic towers from the residential tower.
Governors Island and East River waterfront views from the residential tower.
Views stretch from Lower Manhattan to Midtown.
Panoramic views encompass Hudson Yards (left), the Empire State Building (center), and 432 Park Avenue (right).
View of Manhattan Bridge from the residential tower.
Curtain wall at the east facade.
Curtain wall facade at the northeast corner.
Residents will have access to over 100,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor amenities such as a sports club, spa, entertainment and recreation facilities, and high-end services. Outdoor amenity spaces are designed by West 8, the team behind the ongoing redevelopment of Governors Island, which is visible from the waterfront views in the tower.
Completion is expected in the second half of 2018.
East facade from Cherry Street.
Looking south on Cherry Street.
Architect: Adamson Associates; Interiors: Meyer Davis; Landscape Architect: West 8; Developer: Extell Development Company; Program: Residential; Location: Lower East Side, New York, NY; Completion: 2018.
55 Hudson Yards
Looking up at the east facade.
Construction continues at 55 Hudson Yards, an office tower within Related's master plan for the east rail yards. Design of the 51-story, 780-foot tower is led by Kohn Pedersen Fox with Kevin Roche John Dinkeloo and Associates. The design of the tower's massing features a tenth floor setback that affords an outdoor terrace with views of the larger development as well as Hudson Park and the High Line.
Installation of the tower's curtain wall has recently begun on the east façade. The design features glass panels in a chamfered metal frame.
Curtain wall panels on the east facade.
Close-up of the curtain wall panels.
Curtain wall panel.
Northwest corner from 11th Avenue.
Looking up at the west facade.
Southwest corner from 11th Avenue.
Architects: Kohn Pedersen Fox with Kevin Roche John Dinkeloo and Associates; Developer: The Related Companies; Contractor: Gilbane; Program: Office, Retail; Location: Hudson Yards, New York, NY; Completion: 2018.
A/D/O
West facade from Banker Street.
Greenpoint is getting a creative hub from automaker BMW/MINI. Known as A/D/O, the office space for creatives will be housed in a former warehouse in the Brooklyn neighborhood. nArchitects, a Brooklyn-based firm, has led the conversion of the 25,000-square-foot space.
Southwest corner from Banker Street.
The architects have sought to preserve the spirit of the former warehouse with strategic alterations on the exterior. A diagonal slice through the southwest corner creates a grand entry defined by a new diagonal structural element and new glazing. New doors and windows have also been inserted into the remaining original graffiti-covered brick walls.
New main entry taking shape at the southwest corner.
Close-up of the southwest corner with new structure.
South facade from Norman Avenue.
South facade from Norman Avenue.
Southeast corner from Norman Avenue.
Southeast corner.
Close-up of the graffiti covered existing walls.
East facade.
New main entry taking shape at the southwest corner.
Brick facade close-up.
Inside, the former warehouse will be reconfigured to provide a large, open work space, along with design classrooms, a restaurant, and retail. As the headquarters for URBAN-X, A/D/O will also offer rentable work space and a fabrication studio for innovative hardware startups.
Inside the open work space at the main entry.
Periscope element cut into the existing ceiling.
Extension of the open space work area.
New skylight cut into the existing ceiling.
Architect: nArchitects; Client: BMW/MINI; Program: Office, Commercial, Retail; Location: Greenpoint, Brooklyn, NY; Completion: Fall 2016.
429 Kent Avenue - Oosten
Northwest corner from Kent Avenue and South 8th Street.
Construction is wrapping up at the Oosten, a residential development in the Williamsburg neighborhood in Brooklyn. Developed by XIN Development and designed by Piet Boon, the seven story structure occupies an entire block near the East River waterfront and the Williamsburg Bridge. On the exterior, a collaborative design between Boon and Think Architecture, changes in material help to break down the building into more discreet volumes, addressing the small scale of the neighborhood.
All four corners of the site feature floor to ceiling glass accented by vertical metal fins for sun mitigation and visual interest on the facade. Smaller bays of similarly detailed glass walls march along the mid-block portions of the facade, along with brick and punched window piers.
Close-up of the south facade from South 9th Street.
Close-up of the southeast facade from South 9th Street.
Close-up of the southeast facade from Wythe Avenue.
Lobby entry.
Residents of the Oosten will have access to an array of amenities, including two lobbies, a 24-hour concierge, lounge, children’s playroom, interior courtyard, landscaped rooftop with splash pool and outdoor grill, indoor lap pool, and fitness center with spa. Private parking will also be offered to residents along with bike storage.
Courtyard.
Residential corridor.
Inside, the building contains 216 units developed from seven different typologies, ranging from townhouses and duplex homes to lofts, one-, two- and three-bedrooms to duplex penthouses. Boon designed the Oosten’s interiors in the Dutch tradition with a light and dark palette of finishes to choose from. The floor-to-ceiling glass and high ceilings, starting at 10 feet, provide lots of natural light and views out, either to the street or to the large interior courtyard.
Living room in a residential unit.
Bathroom in a residential unit.
Living room in a duplex residential unit.
View of the Williamsburg Bridge from a penthouse terrace.
Panoramic view of Williamsburg from a penthouse terrace.
Looking east from a penthouse terrace.
View of the courtyard and the Lower Manhattan skyline from a penthouse terrace.
Architect: Piet Boon; Developer: XIN Development; Program: Residential; Location: Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY; Completion: 2016.
432 Park Avenue
East façade of the retail building from Park Avenue.
Construction is wrapping up at 432 Park Avenue, the supertall residential tower from developers CIM Group and Macklowe Properties. Designed by Rafael Vinoly Architects, the tower stands 1396 feet tall and features a gridded façade of 10 feet by 10 feet windows set into an exposed concrete exterior.
Cladding of the retail spaces is almost complete and now the residential entry plaza off of East 56th Street looks ready for the residents of the 122 units located within the tower.
Looking up at the south façade.
Southeast corner of the tower base and residential plaza.
Residential entry off of East 56th Street.
Residential entry off of East 56th Street.
Residential entry off of East 56th Street.
Southeast corner of the residential tower.
Architects: Rafael Vinoly Architects (Design Architect), SLCE Architects, LLP (Executive Architects); Interior Design: Deborah Berke Partners, Bentel & Bentel, Rafael Vinoly Architects, Lilla J. Smith, Harry Macklowe; Landscape Design: Zion Breen & Richardson Associates; Master Planner: Handel Architects LLP; Developers: CIM Group, Macklowe Properties; Program: Residential, Retail; Location: Midtown East, New York, NY; Completion: 2015.
Hunters Point Community Library
West facade from a pier at Gantry Plaza State Park.
Situated among the recent crop of towers on the waterfront in Hunters Point, a new library from Steven Holl Architects is taking shape in Long Island City. The project broke ground in the summer of 2015 after spending nearly a decade in planning and topped out this past summer.
Southwest corner.
Standing 104 feet tall, the library's rectangular volume is defined by concrete exterior walls that will be covered with a metallic paint that will shimmer in the sunlight. Previous design iterations of the concrete's treatment included cladding the surface with metal panels or casting the concrete with a bubble wrap-like formwork to create a pattern of round indentations on the surface. To provide light and views to the interior, the concrete facade features organically shaped openings of various sizes that often follow the circulation path found within. At night, the light will shine through the openings, creating a dramatic lantern on the Queens waterfront visible to the community and Manhattan.
Close-up of a facade opening on the west facade.
Southeast corner from Center Boulevard.
East facade from Center Boulevard.
Northwest corner.
Southwest corner of the park and library support building adjacent to the main library building.
East facade.
Close-up of facade openings on the east facade.
On-site facade mockup of earlier concrete surface treatment design.
Inside, the building will embrace the library typology's new role as community hub with a diverse array of programs totaling approximately 22,000 square-feet. Visitors will enter at the center of the building, with a meeting room on the north and offices on the south end of the first floor.
West Entry.
Meeting Room.
At the second level, a stepped adult reading area will rise along the northern half, with dramatic views of the Manhattan skyline and Gantry Plaza State Park from the organic façade opening that follows the multi-level space.
Looking up at the Adult Reading Room from the Ground Floor Entry.
Looking up at the Adult Reading Room from the Ground Floor Entry.
A similarly stepped children's area will occupy the southern half from levels two to four and is defined by a curving structure that transitions from wall to roof. To mitigate sound, the form will be clad in an acoustical bamboo, a warm contrast to the concrete exterior.
Children's Area.
Underside of the Children's Area and Main Entry.
A view of the Manhattan skyline from a future glazed opening above the Main Entry space.
A view of the Hunters Point waterfront from a facade opening adjacent to the Children's Area.
A view of the Manhattan skyline from a future glazed opening on the upper floor of the Children's Area.
Looking southwest from the upper floor of the Children's Area.
Looking south from the terraced section of the Adult Reading Area.
Looking south from the terraced section of the Adult Reading Area.
Looking west from the Adult Reading Area.
Looking south from the Adult Reading Area.
A panoramic view of the East River waterfront from the Adult Reading Area.
Worker's install a stair between the west facade and the Adult Reading Area.
Looking north from the Adult Reading Area with Staff Offices above.
Looking towards the Children's Area volume and the Cyber Center above.
Looking towards the Children's Area volume and the Cyber Center above.
View of Gantry State Park and the East River waterfront from the Adult Reading Area.
On the upper levels, space will be provided for a teen area and a cyber center.
Looking north from the Cyber Center.
Cyber Center above the Children's Area.
An organic-shaped opening frames the Manhattan skyline.
Looking south towards the Cyber Center and the MEP space.
Staff office space with a view of the East River waterfront.
Teen Area with a view of the Manhattan skyline.
Looking south from the Teen Area with the Outdoor Stepped Terrace above.
Looking down on the Central Atrium from the Teen Area.
A café will occupy the roof level, along with an outdoor terrace that features a stepped seating area, the slope of which is registered on the west façade with a void cut into the concrete.
Outdoor Stepped Terrace.
Rooftop Cafe.
Outdoor Stepped Terrace.
Completion is slated for sometime next year.
Architect: Steven Holl Architects; Client: New York City Department of Design and Construction, Queens Library; Program: Library; Location: Hunters Point, Long Island City, Queens, NY; Completion: 2017.
160 Leroy Street
Concrete superstructure has reached above ground at Ian Schrager's curvy, 12-story condo building on the Hudson River waterfront. Designed by Herzog & deMeuron, architects of Schrager's 215 Chrystie and 40 Bond, the building features a curved façade of exposed concrete and floor to ceiling glass. The completed project will bring 49 condo units to its West Village neighborhood.
Architects: Herzog & deMeuron (Design Architect), S9 A Perkins Eastman Affiliate Company (Executive Architect); Developer: Ian Schrager Company; Program: Residential; Location: West Village; Completion: 2017.
Construction Update: 53 West 53rd Street
Curtain wall installation is underway on the iconic diagrid of Jean Nouvel's 53W53 tower in Midtown. Planning for the tower, from developers Hines and Pontiac Land Group with financing from Goldman Sachs, began in 2006 and was unveiled to the public in November of 2007. Since then, there has been a height reduction from 1250' down to 1050' and Diller Scofidio + Renfro have been tapped to design the tower's included expansion of MoMA.
The tower's signature identity comes from its diagrid structure, the diagonally criss-crossing of normally vertical concrete columns at the tower's perimeter. Solid metal panels break up the glass of the curtain wall, expressing the diagrid on the tower's facade.
When completed, the 82-story tower will include 145 residential condo units ranging from one- to five-bedrooms, the largest of which will be a 7,892-square-foot duplex penthouse. The tower's unique shape impacts the design of each unit, ensuring that each has a unique floor plan. Interiors for the apartments and amenites are designed by Thierry Despont.
Architects: Ateliers Jean Nouvel (Design Architect), SLCE (Executive Architect); Interiors: Office of Thierry Despont; Developers: Hines, Pontiac Land Group, and Goldman Sachs; Program: Residential, Retail, Musuem; Location: Midtown, New York, NY; Completion: November 2018.
The New York City Aids Memorial Park at St. Vincent's Triangle
Construction is underway on the New York City AIDS Memorial at St. Vincent's Triangle in the West Village. The memorial is located across from the former St. Vincent’s Hospital campus, which housed the city’s first and largest AIDS ward. Studio a+i won the memorial competition in 2012 and since then the design has evolved as the project moved towards completion. The memorial consists of an 18-foot-tall canopy structure created by three metal triangles. Under the shelter of the canopy, visitors can reflect and meditate amongst a granite engraved text installation by artist Jenny Holzer and a water feature.
Completion is expected later this year.
Design: Studio a+i with Esteban Erlich RA; Structural Engineer: Robert Silman Associates; Lighting Designer: Fisher Marantz Stone; Artist: Jenny Holzer; Landscape Designer: M. Paul Friedberg and Partners; Graphic Designer: 2x4 and Pablo Alabau; Program: Memorial; Location: West Village, New York, NY; Completion: late 2016.
30 Hudson Yards and Retail Building
Looking up at the northeast corner of 30 Hudson Yards from 10th Avenue.
Hudson Yards' second office tower at the eastern rail yards, 30 Hudson Yards, continues to make significant progress with steel superstructure nearing the 1/3 mark and curtain wall installation ongoing on the lower floors. Designed by KPF, the 90-story, 1,296-foot tower will house Time Warner Inc. and feature an open-air observation deck.
Close-up of the curtain wall going up on the east façade.
Looking up at the east façade of 30 Hudson Yards from 10th Avenue.
Close-up of the north façade of 30 Hudson Yards.
Northwest corner of 30 Hudson Yards (foreground) and 10 Hudson Yards (background) from West 34th Street.
Northwest corner of 30 Hudson Yards (foreground) and 10 Hudson Yards (background) from Hudson Park.
Curtain wall panel lowering into place at 30 Hudson Yards.
Façade installation is also underway on the retail building located in between the two office towers of 10 and 30 Hudson Yards. Scalloped and perforated metal panels have started to go up on the more solid east façade facing 10th Avenue, while the more transparent west façade has yet to receive its cladding. The 1,000,000 square feet retail structure is designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox and will be anchored by the Nieman Marcus department store chain.
Looking up at the east façade of the retail building from 10th Avenue.
Close-up of the metal panels at the east façade of the retail building.
Architects: KPF (30 Hudson Yards, Retail Building); Developers: Related Companies, Oxford Properties Group; Program: Office, Retail; Location: Hudson Yards, New York, NY; Completion: 2018 (Retail, Public Square), 2019 (30 Hudson Yards).
Adamson Associates · Two Bridge · 2019