Construction Update: Faena Arts District
Faena Forum (center), Faena Bazaar (right), and Faena Park (far right) from Collins Avenue.
Faena Forum
South facade of the Faena Forum.
Southwest corner of the Faena Forum.
West facade of the Faena Forum.
Looking up at the west facade of the Faena Forum.
Northwest corner of the Faena Forum.
Northwest corner of the Faena Forum.
Plaza.
Plaza entry.
Assembly hall.
Assembly hall.
Assembly hall cylinder.
Looking up at the ceiling of the assembly hall cylinder.
Faena Bazaar
East facade of Faena Bazaar.
Looking up at the south facade of Faena Bazaar.
Northeast corner of Faena Bazaar.
Faena Park
East facade of Faena Park.
Looking up at the east facade of Faena Park.
Close-up of the facade of Faena Park.
Building Tour: 155 West 11th Street - The Greenwich Lane
Southwest corner of 155 West 11th Street.
Construction is complete at the Greenwich Lane, the five building and five townhouse development from the Rudin family and the Ofer family's Global Holdings, Inc. The development is located on the site of the old St. Vincent's Hospital in Greenwich Village. FXFOWLE led the design of the project, blending the converted former hospital buildings with a new tower and townhouses. Across the street, the new West Village Park, funded by the developers, hosts the newly completed New York City AIDS Memorial.
West facade of 160 West 12th Street (left) and 155 West 11th Street (right) with the New York City AIDS Memorial and St. Vincent's Triangle Park in the foreground.
Looking up at the west facade of 155 West 11th Street
Looking up at the south facade of 155 West 11th Street.
Southeast corner of 155 West 11th Street.
Looking up at the south façade of 155 West 11th Street.
Southeast corner of 155 West 11th Street.
Southwest corner of 145 West 11th Street.
Looking up at the south façade of 145 West 11th Street.
Residential entry at 145 West 11th Street.
Model Residences
Interiors at the Greenwich Lane are designed by Thomas O'Brien and include dark stained red oak floors, custom moldings and trims, floor-to-ceiling windows, and a direct elevator entrance.
Master bath with a terrace and east facing skyline view.
Midtown skyline view from the terrace.
Northeast view from the terrace.
Southeast view from the terrace.
View of the central courtyard from the terrace.
Bedroom with a west facing view.
View of St. Vincent's Triangle Park and the New York City AIDS Memorial from a terrace.
Northwest view towards St. Vincent's Triangle Park and the New York City AIDS Memorial.
Kitchen with west facing terrace beyond.
Kitchen.
Master bedroom.
Master bathroom.
Master bathroom.
Central Courtyard
At the center of the development, a courtyard designed by M. Paul Friedberg & Partners provides shared open space for each building's inhabitants.
reflecting pool, limestone benches, and an allée lines with birch trees
Architects: FXFOWLE; Interiors: Thomas O'Brien; Landscape Architect: M. Paul Friedberg & Partners; Developers: The Rudin Family with Global Holdings; Program: Residential; Location: West Village, New York, NY; Completion: 2016.
Building Tour: 50 West Street
Northwest corner from West Thames Park.
Recently, I took a tour of 50 West, Time Equities' 64-story residential tower wrapping up construction in Lower Manhattan. Designed by Helmut Jahn, the 780-foot tower features rounded corners which allow for panoramic views, especially from the double height living spaces at the tower's southwest corner. Glass curtain wall panels with stainless steel spandrel panels clad the tower, with curved panels at the corners. At the top of the tower, a private rooftop observatory and terrace features expansive views of the New York Harbor. The plaza at the base of the tower will be the entry point for the new West Thames Street Pedestrian Bridge to be built in the near future.
Close-up of the tower's curtain wall at a rounded corner.
Looking north along the Hudson River Greenway.
Looking north from Battery Park.
Lobby
Lobby.
Lobby.
Rooftop Terrace
View of Lower Manhattan from the rooftop terrace.
View east towards Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn from the rooftop terrace.
View south from the rooftop terrace.
Vew west towards Jersey City from the rooftop terrace.
View north from the penthouse.
The completed tower will feature 191 condo units, some of which will offer duplexes with double height living rooms. Four floors of amenities will include a pool, private fitness center, an entertainment floor, a landscaped rooftop observatory, and office condominiums on the third floor available for purchase by the residents.
Unit 16B
Unit 16B features 3 bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms in a 2300 square foot floor plate, including a double height great room at the tower's southeast facing rounded corner.
Great room.
Kitchen.
Master bedroom.
Master bathroom.
Secondary bathroom.
Unit 16D
Unit 16D features 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms in a 2400 square foot duplex, including a double height living/dining room at the tower's northwest facing rounded corner.
Living/dining room.
Bedroom.
Sales Gallery
Architects: Jahn; Interiors: Thomas Juul-Hansen; Developers: Time Equities Inc.; Program: Residential; Completion: 2016.
A/D/O
Southwest corner from Banker Street.
A creative hub from automaker BMW/MINI has opened in Greenpoint. Known as A/D/O, the office space for creatives is 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.
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 carved out of the existing structure at the southwest corner.
Periscope skylight.
South facade from Norman Avenue.
Southeast corner from Norman Avenue.
Architect: nArchitects; Client: BMW/MINI; Program: Office, Commercial, Retail; Location: Greenpoint, Brooklyn, NY; Completion: Fall 2016.
15 Renwick Street
Looking up at the east façade.
Recently, I toured Penthouse 1 at the newly completed 15 Renwick in Hudson Square. Designed by ODA Architects, the 11-story condo building features the firm's continuing focus on an interplay of boxy forms for the building massing. By working with New York's zoning regulations for dormers, the firm has achieved a body of projects with a playful, boxy form.
East façade.
Penthouse terraces.
Penthouse 1
Penthouse 1 offers a 3-bedroom, 3.5-bedroom open layout residence with interior design by Sharon Blaustein. Kitchens feature Italian-made walnut cabinetry with back painted glass from Poliform, along with Miele and Sub-Zero appliances. Bathrooms feature herringbone patterned statuary marble floors, walnut wall vanity, a deep soaking tub, and Transit Series by Waterworks plumbing fixtures. Outdoor terraces are provided on three separate levels with panoramic views of Lower Manhattan and the New Jersey waterfront. Other features include a living room fireplace, Crestron home automation system, and onsite parking for sale.
Dining Room and Kitchen.
Dining Room and Kitchen.
Living Room.
Family Room.
Family Room.
Family Room.
Master Bedroom.
Master Bedroom.
Master Bathroom.
Secondary Bedroom.
Secondary Bedroom.
View of the Family Room cantilevered volume from the Terrace.
10th Floor Terrace.
10th Floor Terrace.
10th Floor Terrace.
Third Bedroom as Office.
Third Bedroom as Office.
Rooftop Terrace.
View of Lower Manhattan from the Rooftop Terrace.
Architect: ODA; Interior Design: Sharon Blaustein; Developer: Izaki Group Investments; Program: Residential; Location: Hudson Square, New York, NY; Completion: 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.
7 DeKalb Avenue
The City Point development.
Construction has wrapped up at COOKFOX's 7 DeKalb, part of phase two of the City Point development in Downtown Brooklyn. Developed by BFC Partners, Washington Square Partners and Acadia Realty Trust, the 23-story, 225,000 square foot tower is now almost fully rented, with only a handful of its 250 units remaining.
The City Point development.
A podium with 660,000 square feet of retail is also included in phase two of the project. Tenants for the retail portion will include Century 21, Target, Alamo Drafthouse, various other smaller scale shops, and a food market. A central street will run through the ground floor retail and allow a public connection between Flatbush Avenue and Gold Street.
The tower is clad in a unitized metal panel system of light grey zinc that will patina and age over time.
Close-up of the zinc façade.
Resident amenities include two lounges, multiple terraces, gym, media/screening room, children's playroom, and bike storage.
Lower residential terrace.
Looking up at 7 DeKalb and City Tower from the lower residential terrace.
Lower residential terrace.
Lower residential terrace.
The view from the future residents lounge.
Living room.
Bedroom.
Private residential terrace.
View from the upper residential terrace.
Architects: COOKFOX Architects; Developers: BFC Partners, Washington Square Partners and Acadia Realty Trust; Program: Retail, Residential; Location: Downtown Brooklyn, NY; Completion: 2016.
CUMC Vagelos Education Center
Looking west on West 171st Street.
New York's latest, high-profile education building has opened on the campus of Columbia University Medical College in Washington Heights. Designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro with Gensler, the 14-story Roy and Diana Vagelos Education Center houses classroom, simulation and training facilities for the college.
Close-up of the "Study Cascade" at the southeast corner.
Southeast corner from Haven Avenue.
Looking up at the east facade from Haven Avenue.
The building's iconic feature is the "Study Cascade," a south facing 14-story space, connected by a grand stair, with a variety of indoor spaces for individual and group interaction, outdoor rooms and terraces that foster collaborative learning amongst students and faculty. With the "Study Cascade" DS+R has sought to subvert the normative medical building typology by rethinking its circulation strategy, which the studio has focused on in a wide range of projects over the past few decades.
The "Study Cascade" at the south facade.
Southwest corner of the "Study Cascade."
GFRC paneling and Douglas fir wood clad the solid forms of the "Study Cascade," while the transparency of floor-to-ceiling glass with glass fin supports allows for open views of Manhattan and the Hudson River.
Close-up of the "Study Cascade" at the south facade.
West facade.
Looking up at the west facade.
Looking southeast from an outdoor terrace on the 13th floor.
View south from an outdoor terrace.
Grand stair at the lobby.
Architects: Diller Scofidio + Renfro with Gensler; Structural Engineer: Leslie E. Robertson Associates (LERA); Program: Education; Location: Washington Heights, New York, NY; Completion: 2016.
30 Park Place
Construction nears completion at Silverstein Properties’ 82-story Tribeca hotel and residential condo tower, slated to be the tallest residential tower in the neighborhood at 926 feet. Designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects, the tower is meant to evoke the architecture of 1920’s and 1930’s New York.
Penthouse balconies.
The first 24 floors are devoted to a Four Seasons Hotel, with 185 rooms designed by Yabu Pushelberg and a restaurant from Wolfgang Puck. Above, 157 condo units are on offer with Four Seasons caliber services.
30 Park Place as seen from 7 World Trade Center.
Stern has designed the exterior of the building to evoke a classic New York façade with his precast concrete panels that looks convincingly like limestone. According to the panel installers, the tower is the tallest building to use precast concrete panels in the world. Façade details such as the geometric ornamental exterior panels and metal screens bring a contemporary update to the classical design. Bay windows are located throughout the tower, allowing for ample daylight and stunning views of the downtown skyline.
Close-up of the crown and penthouse portion of the tower.
At the top of the tower, the full floor penthouse features corner terraces with 360-degree skyline views of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and New Jersey. At a height of 870 feet, these terraces offer the tallest outdoor space in any condominium development in any building in Manhattan.
Northwest penthouse view.
Northeast penthouse view.
Southeast penthouse view.
Southwest penthouse view.
View of 1 World Trade Center and 7 World Trade Center from the penthouse.
View north towards Midtown Manhattan from the penthouse.
Governors Island and the evening rush hour traffic in the New York harbor.
The Lower Manhattan skyline with Brooklyn Bridge Park and the Downtown Brooklyn skyline in the background.
Looking up at the crown of the tower from the penthouse balcony.
Architects: Robert A.M. Stern Architects; Developer: Silverstein Properties; Program: Hotel, Residential; Location: Tribeca, New York, NY; Completion: 2016.
Urby Staten Island
Tenants are starting to move in at Urby Staten Island in Stapleton. The two building rental property from Ironstate Development sits on 7 acres of land, formerly home to an unfinished naval base that closed in 1993. A Dutch architecture firm, Concrete, has designed the four and five story structures clad in window wall and metal panel.
Residents will have access to a bevy of amenities that include a bodega, communal kitchen, urban garden, two-floor fitness center, outdoor pool, filtered water bottle filling station, bike room, and digital package system. The communal kitchen will be overseen by a chef in residence and offer cooking classes to residents.
Communal kitchen.
Outdoor pool.
The 5,000-square-foot urban garden, managed by a resident farmer, will raise produce to be sold in the on-site bodega and for the meals prepared in the communal kitchen.
The two buildings offer 571 apartments that range in size from studios to two-bedrooms, including 115 affordable units. Some units feature waterfront views of Lower Manhattan and a leftover pier from the former naval base.
Living room of a multi-bedroom unit.
Kitchen.
Studio.
Bathroom.
At the eastern end of the site, residents will have access to a new waterfront esplanade with views to Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan.
View of Urby Staten Island from the Stapleton train platform.
A second phase of the development, offering an additional 325 units on an adjacent site, is scheduled to open in 2018.
Architect: Concrete; Developer: Ironstate Development; Program: Residential; Location: Staten Island, New York, NY; Completion: 2016.