252 East 57th Street
Construction has topped out at World Wide Group and Rose Associates' 252 East Fifty Seven tower in the Midtown East neighborhood of Manhattan. Led by architects SOM and SLCE, the design of the 65-story residential tower features a concave slice that rips vertically through the three street facing facades, expanding in size as it rises. The special curved glass employed for the feature required fabrication in Italy.
The tower will include 175 rental units on the lower floors and 93 condo units above, starting on the 36th floor. Interiors are designed by Daniel Romualdez Architects and features custom Eggersmann kitchens and bathtubs from the architect. The views from the top floors feature a panoramic view of Manhattan as well as the Brooklyn and Queens waterfront. Central Park is visible to the north and many iconic landmarks to the south, including the Chrysler Building and One World Trade.
At the 34th floor, condo residents will have access to amenities including a lounge, library, dining room, and 70-foot south facing terrace. Fitness amenities will include a 75-foot swimming pool, spa, and gym with a spin room and yoga and pilates studios. Condo residents will enter the building through an attended, gated porte cochere with automated parking.
Northwest corner of the tower from East 57th Street.
North façade from East 57th Street.
Looking up at the curved glass element on the north façade.
The view to the south from a top floor condo unit at the curved façade element.
The view to the south from a top floor condo unit.
The view to the north from a top floor condo unit at the curved façade element.
The view to the north from a top floor condo unit.
Looking down from the curved façade element.
Preparing for the final concrete pours on the mechanical rooftop.
An interior view of the curved façade element.
An interior view of the curved façade element.
Looking west from a corner unit.
A view of 432 Park Avenue from a parallel projecting operable window.
Looking south from the 34th floor terrace.
Looking west from the 34th floor terrace.
Looking up at the south façade of the tower from the 6th floor rooftop.
A detail of the integrated curved façade element and balconies.
Looking up at the south façade of the tower from the 6th floor rooftop.
The porte cochere under construction.
The automated parking system under construction in the basement.
Looking south from 2nd Avenue.
Looking up at the east façade of the tower.
Southeast corner of the tower from 2nd Avenue.
Looking up at the south façade of the tower.
Southwest corner of the tower from East 56th Street.
Architects: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (Design Architect) with SLCE Architects LLP (Executive Architect); Interior Architect: Daniel Romualdez Architects, P.C.; Sustainable Engineer: WSP; Developers: World Wide Group and Rose Associates; Program: Residential Rental and Condo; Location: Midtown East, New York, NY; Completion: 2016.
Grace Farms
The River Building with the Sanctuary in the foreground.
Entering the River Building at the Sanctuary.
The lobby of the Sanctuary.
Sanctuary.
Sanctuary.
The view from the stage inside the sanctuary.
The stage inside the Sanctuary.
Sanctuary.
Roof structure detail inside the Sanctuary.
Perimeter structure and glass enclosure detail inside the Sanctuary.
Glass enclosure detail at the floor of the Sanctuary.
Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa speaking at the opening day ceremony.
Roof drainage system at the Sanctuary roof.
Looking down at the continuation of the River Building from the Sanctuary.
An artist captures the River Building on his canvas.
Looking down at the continuation of the River Building.
The stairs leading down from the Sanctuary.
Looking back towards the Sanctuary.
The Library entry.
Shelving inside the Library.
Farm 56 by Thomas Demand inside the Library.
Conference room inside the Library.
Glass enclosure detail at the Library.
Pathway.
Double Glass River by Teresita Fernandez inside the Commons.
Double Glass River by Teresita Fernandez inside the Commons.
Detail of Double Glass River by Teresita Fernandez inside the Commons.
Lighting inside the Commons.
Looking toward the Sanctuary from the Commons.
Signage on the glass enclosure of the Court.
Looking down onto the basketball court.
Looking down onto the basketball court.
Looking down onto the basketball court.
The Court.
The Court.
The River Building.
Looking towards the River Building from the Plaza and the East and West Barns.
Architects: SANAA (Design Architect) with Handel Architects (Executive Architect); Landscape Architects: OLIN; MEP Engineer and Lighting: Buro Happold; Structural Engineer: Robert Silman Associates; Building Envelope: Front; Construction Manager: Sciame; Graphics: Pentagram; Program: Church and Cultural Facilities; Location: New Canaan, Connecticut; Completion: 2015.
Public Natures: Evolutionary Infrastructures by Weiss/Manfredi
Recently published by Princeton Architectural Press, Public Natures: Evolutionary Infrastructures presents the wide ranging work of Weiss/Manfredi, a New York architectural firm hitting its stride. The firm now has a solid collection of work in an expanding range of typologies, including academic buildings, pharmaceutical headquarters, and parks. The common thread throughout all of these projects is the firm's approach to the design problem of infrastructure, a central concern in these typologies. For Weiss/Manfredi, addressing infrastructure requires a focus on the internal function of the building and its connection to the site and the broader surroundings. Though site has loomed large in the theory and dialogue of the modern movement, the firm's approach and accompanying visual language feels fresh and contemporary.
Public Natures presents their work with an effective mixture of diagrams, technical drawings, renderings, and photographs that avoids the oversimplified photo book seen in other monographs. This allows for architects and non-architects alike to engage with the material. Especially effective is the method of treating some of the photography as a means to explain a design concept, as seen in the explanation of the structural strategy employed for the Krishna P. Singh Center for Nanotechnology. Also included amongst the individual projects are texts, including a roundtable discussion with other practitioners and theorists on the urban issues that Weiss/Manfredi are taking on in their work.
The monograph can be purchased here:
http://www.amazon.com/Public-Natures-Infrastructures-Marion-Weiss/dp/161689377X/
For a further discussion of Public Natures, the New York Public Library is holding a book talk on October 7th at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building with Marion Weiss, Michael A. Manfredi, Alexandra Lange, Stan Allen, and David van der Leer.
626 First Avenue
Construction progress continues at 626 First Avenue, the two tower residential development from JDS Development Group. Designed by SHoP Architects, the 41 and 49 story towers have almost reached the half way mark for superstructure. As the two towers slope towards each other, a bridge will connect them and host an indoor lap pool and lounge as amenities for the residents. The project's signature building envelope features copper cladding on the north and south facades of both towers, equaling 4.25 million pounds of raw copper according to the newly installed construction signage. A glass curtain wall on the east and west facades allow for expansive views of the East River waterfront and the Midtown skyline. The cladding is furthest along on the northwest tower, with glass and copper surpassing the 11th floor. Construction is slated to wrap up on both towers by 2017.
Architects: SHoP Architects; Developer: JDS Development Group; Program: Residential, Retail, Park; Location: Murray Hill, New York, NY; Completion: 2017.
Chicago Architecture Biennial
A photo essay from the press preview of the inaugural Chicago Architecture Biennial, which opens today, October 3, and runs through January 3, 2016.
Northeast corner of the Chicago Cultural Center, built in 1893 by Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge.
The End of Sitting - Cut Out by RAAAF.
Ground floor central staircase.
Polis Station by Studio Gang.
Polis Station by Studio Gang.
Detail of Polis Station by Studio Gang.
LA Recalculated by Smout Allen + Geoff Manaugh.
BUILTHEFIGHT by Didier Faustino.
People's United Nations: pUN by Pedro Reyes.
Rock Print by Gramazio Kohler Research of ETH Zurich and the Self-Assembly Lab of MIT.
Detail of Rock Print.
The Tiffany dome.
Casa A by Selgascano and Helloeverything
Children's Town by Onishimaki and Hyakudayuki Architects.
Passage by SO-IL.
Passage by SO-IL.
Detail of Passage.
Piranesi Circus by Atelier Bow-Wow.
Making Camp by Lateral Office.
Model detail from Making Camp by Lateral Office.
Rural Collage: Strategies for the Chinese Countryside by Rural Urban Framework.
S House by Vo Trong Ngia Architects.
Detail of S House by Vo Trong Ngia Architects.
Interior of S House by Vo Trong Ngia Architects.
Kanagawa Institute of Technology by Junya Ishigami and Associates.
3-C.CITY: Climate, Convention, and Cruise by WORKac and Ant Farm.
Exquisite Corpse: A Studio Residency for the Land by Nikolaus Hirsch / Michel Muller.
House No. 11 (Corridor House) by MOS Architects.
Architecture is Everywhere by Sou Fujimoto Architects.
Model from Architecture is Everywhere.
Model from Architecture is Everywhere.
Sustainable Housing by Tatiana Bilbao S.C.
Interiors of Sustainable Housing by Tatiana Bilbao S.C.
Sustainable Housing by Tatiana Bilbao S.C.
Color(ed) Theory by Amanda Williams.
Hollow Trunk by Plan:B Arquitectos (left) and Indo-Pacific Atlas by Fake Industries Architectural Agonism and UTS (right).
Hollow Trunk by Plan:B Arquitectos.
The Hills at Governors Island
For the last weekend of access to Governors Island this season, the ongoing construction of the Hills was opened up to the public for a preview. Part of the multi phase landscape design by West 8, the project includes four hills at the south end of the island that range in height from 28 to 82 feet. Visitors were able to climb to the top of the highest hill to experience the spectacular views of the park and the skylines of New Jersey and New York. The $36 million project has been funded in part by Google's CEO Eric Schmidt and his wife, Wendy. Completion of the project is slated for sometime next year.
Landscape Architect: West 8; Program: Park; Location: Governors Island, New York, NY; Completion: 2016.
215 Chrystie
Superstructure has reached the 13th floor and window installation has begun at 215 Chrystie, the 28-story tower from developers Ian Schrager and the Witkoff Group. The tower 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.
Looking south on Chrystie Street.
Detail of the facade at the southeast corner.
East elevation from Chrystie Street.
Detail of the east facade.
Looking north on Chrystie Street.
Southeast corner of the tower.
Detail of the facade at the southeast corner.
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.
290 West
More construction scaffolding has come down at VE Equities' 290 West, revealing most of the metal and glass façade. Located in Tribeca, the 9-story condo from Adjmi & Androeli offers 11 loft-style apartments that overlook the Hudson River. A setback at the sixth floor will allow for outdoor terraces for units occupying that floor. The gridded steel and glass façade evokes the industrial character of the neighborhood. The larger steel elements correspond to the location of floor slabs and columns, while a larger 2-story box tops the west façade and indicates the double height space of the penthouse unit. Completion is expected later this year.
West facade from Hudson River Park.
West facade from Hudson River Park.
Northwest corner from the Hudson River Greenway.
Detail of the northwest corner.
Architects: Morris Adjmi Architects, AA Studio; Developer: VE Equities; Program: Residential; Location: TriBeCa, New York, NY; Completion: 2015.
Journal Squared
The first of three towers is rising at Kushner Real Estate Group and National Real Estate Advisors' Journal Squared mega development adjacent to the Journal Square PATH station in New Jersey. Designed by Handel Architects and HWKN, the site will eventually comprise three residential towers, the tallest of which will be 70-stories. Superstructure has almost reached the halfway mark at the 54-story residential tower, with concrete reaching the 22nd floor. Installation of the gridded exterior wall also looks imminent. The facade will feature windows set into a grid pattern with blue accent panels that flag to either side of the glass to create an overall pattern. A more homogenous plane of glass cuts through the center of the primary street facade of each tower, creating a fissure that breaks the regular grid. The base of the towers will house retail, lobby, and parking. Completion of the first tower is expected sometime in 2016.
Southwest corner of the phase one tower from the Journal Square PATH station plaza.
Southeast corner of the phase one tower.
East facade of the phase one tower from Summit Avenue.
Northeast corner of the phase one tower from Pavonia Avenue.
North facade of the phase one tower.
Detail of the north facade of the phase one tower.
West facade of the phase one tower from Pavonia Avenue.
Architects: Handel Architects with HWKN; Developers: Kushner Real Estate Group and National Real Estate Advisors, a division of NEBF; Program: Residential, Retail, and Parking; Location: Jersey City, New Jersey; Completion: 2016 (Phase One).
Hudson Yards
Hudson Yards' first phase at the eastern rail yards is steadily making progress. At the corner of West 30th Street and 10th Avenue, the mega developments first office tower is close to topping out. Designed by KPF, the 52-story tower at 10 Hudson Yards will house the likes of Coach, Loreal, and SAP. Currently, the tower has only a few floors of superstructure left to erect before topping out.
The second office tower, 30 Hudson Yards, has recently started rising above ground at the northeastern corner of the rail yards. Also designed by KPF, the 92-story, 1,287-foot tower will house Time Warner Inc. and feature an open-air observation deck.
Work is also underway on the retail building located in between the two office towers, with superstructure topped out and the first façade panel up 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. The perforated and embossed metal panel that has recently gone up on site looks quite similar to the copper panels that adorn the de Young Museum in San Francisco by Herzog & de Meuron.
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. Here's hoping the same doesn't happen to DS+R's design for the adjacent Culture Shed.
Northeast corner of the Hudson Yards site with 30 Hudson Yards (center), the retail podium and 10 Hudson Yards (left).
Looking southeast towards 30 Hudson Yards (left), the retail podium (center), and 10 Hudson Yards (right).
Superstructure underway on 30 Hudson Yards.
Southeast corner of the retail podium from West 30th Street.
Façade panel on the retail podium.
Southeast corner of 10 Hudson Yards and the retail podium from West 30th Street.
Southeast corner of 10 Hudson Yards.
South façade of 10 Hudson Yards.
The High Line passageway underneath 10 Hudson Yards.
West façade of 10 Hudson Yards from the High Line.
Temporary Coach building installed for a Fashion Week runway show.
South façade from the High Line flyover.
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: 2015 (10 Hudson Yards), 2017 (55 Hudson Yards), 2018 (15 Hudson Yards, 35 Hudson Yards, Retail, Public Square), 2019 (30 Hudson Yards).
