2-20 Malt Drive
SLCE Architects · Long Island City · 2025
West facade of 2-20 (right) and 2-21 (left) Malt Drive.
Construction has wrapped up at the first phase of TF Cornerstone’s residential development Malt Drive on the Long Island City waterfront. Designed by SLCE Architects, the development includes three residential rental towers across two blocks. The first of the two buildings to open is 2-20 Malt Drive, which stands at 34-stories tall and includes 575 residences, ranging in size from studios to 3-bedrooms. A five story base will contain 3,776 square feet of ground-floor retail space. The project is anchored by a waterfront park designed by SCAPE.
Southwest corner of 2-20 (right) and 2-21 (left) Malt Drive.
Southwest corner of 2-20 (right) and 2-21 (left) Malt Drive.
Northwest corner of 2-20 (right) and 2-21 (left) Malt Drive.
Malt Drive Park
Southeast corner of 2-20 Malt Drive from Malt Drive Park.
Looking up at the east facade of 2-20 Malt Drive (center) and 2-21 Malt Drive (right).
Southeast corner of 2-20 Malt Drive from Malt Drive Park.
Malt Drive Park.
2-20 Malt Drive
Residential Entry at 2-20 Malt Drive.
Residential Entry at 2-20 Malt Drive.
Residential lobby.
Amenities
Lobby of Club 220 amenity lounge.
Amenities include resident lounges, co-working space, fitness center, children's playroom, pet grooming, bicycle storage, and a landscaped roof deck with outdoor pool and BBQ grills,
Co-working lounge.
Outdoor pool.
BBQ grills and seating area.
View west towards Midtown Manhattan from the amenity deck.
Internal courtyard at 2-20 Malt Drive.
Model Residences
Architect: SLCE; Landscape Architect: SCAPE (Malt Drive Park); Developer: TF Cornerstone; Program: Residential, Retail; Location: Long Island City, Queens, NY; Completion: 2025.
Construction Update: 301 East 80th Street - Beckford House and Tower
Southwest corner of Beckford House (left) and Tower (right).
Facade installation is nearing completion at Icon Realty Management’s Beckford House and Tower, a two tower development on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Studio Sofield is leading the design of the project, with SLCE Architects serving as the executive architect. Both towers feature facades of hand-carved, hand-laid variegated Indiana limestone and custom-blend gray brick.
Looking up at the west facade of Beckford Tower.
The 31-story Beckford Tower will offer 72 residences ranging in size from one- to six-bedrooms.
West facade of Beckford Tower.
The 21-story Beckford House will offer 32 residences ranging in size from two- to five-bedrooms.
Southwest corner of Beckford House.
Architects: Studio Sofield (Design), SLCE Architects (Executive); Developer: Icon Realty Management; Program: Residential; Location: Upper East Side, New York, NY; Completion: 2020.
Tour: 100 E 53
East facade from East 53rd Street.
Construction is now complete and closings are underway at RFR and Vanke’s One Hundred East Fifty Third Street, a residential tower adjacent to the famed Seagram Building in the Midtown East neighborhood of Manhattan. The 63-story, 94-unit tower has been designed by Norman Foster of Foster + Partners, the Pritzker Prize winning architect of other notable New York towers, including the Hearst Tower and 50 UN Plaza.
The tower’s massing is composed of a 9-story bustle adjacent to its slender 711-foot tower. A pleated glass curtain wall clads the exterior, reflecting light in multiple directions. Operable windows are masked by their location behind aluminum rods arranged in vertical columns up the tower.
Detail of east facade curtain wall.
Detail of east facade curtain wall.
Residential Lobby
The residential entry is located off of 53rd Street and welcomes residents in to a lobby entry clad in Calacatta Caldia marble that has been 3D-milled and honed in a pattern that references the pleated facade.
Amenities
Residents have access to a collection of amenities on the third and fourth floor including a Private Residents’ Club, complete with a 60-foot sunlit swimming pool, a cardio room, weight room, pilates/ballet room, yoga room, sauna, steam room, spa treatment rooms and his-and-her changing rooms and showers. In addition, residents have access to a custom designed library by William T. Georgis.
Duplex Residence
The duplex residence on the 10th and 11th floor encompasses 6,646 square feet and is comprised of four bedrooms, four bathrooms and a powder room. In the double height entry, a sculptural staircase fabricated out of four one inch thick steel plates creates a monolithic structural piece within the residence. The kitchen features custom Foster + Partners-designed wire brushed oak cabinetry, Italian Carrara marble knife-edge countertops and backsplash, and integrated Gaggenau and Sub-Zero appliances, including wine storage. The master bath features Silver Striato travertine radiant heated flooring, a freestanding soaking tub and a separate low-iron glass shower with a steam system. An included 5,272-square-foot private outdoor terrace is the largest continuous private outdoor space in Manhattan.
Architects: Foster + Partners (Design Architect), SLCE Architects (Architect of Record); Interiors: William T. Georgis; Owners: RFR, Vanke; Developers: RFR, Hines; Program: Residential, Retail; Location: Midtown East, New York, NY; Completion: 2019.
Tour: 555Ten
West façade from 11th Avenue.
Construction is wrapping up at Extell's 555Ten, a 650-foot residential rental tower in the Hudson Yards Special District. Designed by SLCE, the 56-story rectangular tower sits at the northern edge of the Hudson Yards neighborhood and is clad in a blue glass curtain wall.
Northeast corner from 10th Avenue.
Looking up at the east façade.
Lobby.
Amenities
Amenities in the building include a fitness center on the 12th floor with Midtown skyline views and an adjacent outdoor terrace. A covered outdoor dog park is also located on the 12th floor terrace.
Outdoor terrace at the 12th floor.
Outdoor dog park at the 12th floor.
Model Units
Starting on the 14th floor, the building offers 478 market-rate rentals ranging from studios to three-bedroom units. Each offers premium finishes with a choice of Sunrise (light) or Sunset (dark) interior color schemesand in unit washer and dryer.
Living/dining room.
Kitchen.
Bedroom.
Studio.
Rooftop Amenities
At the 56th floor, residents will have access to an indoor lounge and an outdoor pool and sundeck with Midtown views. A play area offers a private bowling alley, an arcade, and a children’s playroom.
Clubroom.
Clubroom.
Rooftop outdoor pool.
View to the south from the sundeck.
View to the southeast from the sundeck.
View to the north.
View to the north from the sundeck.
Bowling alley in the play area.
Architect: SLCE Architects; Developer: Extell Development Company; Program: Residential Rental; Location: Hudson Yards, New York, NY; Completion: 2017.
Building Tour: One Wall Street
Observation Room.
Construction is underway on the conversion of One Wall Street, the landmark fifty-story limestone Art Deco tower located on an entire block at the intersection of Broadway and Wall Street in the Financial District. Developer Macklowe Properties is converting the Ralph Walker designed office tower into residential condo and rental units with retail at the base. The tower was completed in 1931 and then expanded in 1963, bringing its total gross floor area to 1.1 million square feet.
At the top of the tower, the 49th floor Observation Room features amazing views of Lower Manhattan and a ceiling clad with shells from the Philippines. The space was originally used for formal meetings under the prior office program.
Observation Room ceiling.
Future penthouse.
Rooftop view looking northwest.
Rooftop view looking west.
Rooftop view looking southwest.
Rooftop view looking southeast.
Typical office floor awaits residential conversion.
The split between the original 1931 tower (right) and the 1963 addition (left).
Looking up at the tower from a lower outdoor terrace.
The building's double height entry lobby at Wall Street, long closed to the public, is known as the Red Room and features tile mosaic walls and ceilings by muralist Hildreth Meière.
Revolving entry doors in the Red Room.
Future ground floor retail space.
Existing escalators in the ground floor retail space.
Architect: SLCE Architects; Developer: Macklowe Properties; Program: Residential Condo and Rental, Retail; Location: Financial District, New York, NY; Completion: 2018.
Building Tour : 242 Broome Street
Looking up at the south facade from Broome Street.
After mostly sitting vacant since 1967, a six acre area of the Lower East Side has begun it's transformation into a mixed use development with nine building sites. Now known as Essex Crossing, the $1 billion development will include residential, office, retail, cultural and community space.
Rendering. MOSO Studio.
Included in the first phase of construction is the 14-story, 55-unit condo tower from SHoP Architects. The projected is located on site 1 at the corner of Broome and Ludlow Street, anchoring the western edge of the development. Massing for the tower follows a typical podium and setback tower strategy, creating a sixth story outdoor terrace. The tower slopes inward at the southwest corner, opening up the terrace to more light and views.
Curtain wall installation underway at the southwest corner.
Installation has begun on the bronze-toned metal panel and glass curtain wall that clads the exterior. The design features faceted metal panels that frame the glass openings. At the podium, the metal panel spandrels covering the floor slabs create deep overhangs on the west facade as the form of the building torques at the southwest corner.
Southwest corner from Broome Street.
Close-up of the curtain wall panels on the south facade.
Looking up at the west facade from Ludlow Street.
Condo units range from one-to-three-bedrooms, with 11 of the 55 units set aside under the city's affordable housing program. Residences will feature open concept kitchen and living spaces with typical ceiling heights of 10 feet in the living spaces.
View south to Lower Manhattan.
View northeast.
View northwest.
Looking up at the southwest corner from the lower terrace.
Curtain wall panels await installation.
Curtain wall panel.
Curtain wall panel.
Curtain wall panels installed on the third floor.
Adjacent to the residential tower, the site will also feature a four-story, 17,735 square foot structure that houses community facility space.
View of the steel structure of the community facility space from the residential tower's concrete structure.
Steel structure of the adjacent community facility space.
Residents of the tower will have access to a selection of amenities that include a fitness center, entertainment lounge, rooftop terrace with outdoor dining, bicycle storage, and tenant storage. In the cellar, a 10-lane bowling alley from Splitsville Luxury Lanes will be open to the public later this year.
Cellar level.
Looking east on Broome Street.
Architect: SHoP Architects (Design Architect), SLCE Architects (Architect of Record); Developers: Delancey Street Associates (Taconic Investment Partners LLC, L+M Development Partners, BFC Partners, Goldman Sachs); Program: Residential, Retail; Location: Essex Crossing, Lower East Side, New York, NY; Completion: 2018.
Court Square
Looking east on 44th Drive at the northwest corner of the block.
Construction continues in Court Square at one of Queens' most active blocks for development. Bounded by Jackson Avenue to the north and Purves Street and 44th Drive to the east and west, this block in Long Island City currently has three towers under construction simultaneously.
Looking east along Jackson Avenue.
Watermark Court Square
Twining Properties' 27-story, 150,000 square foot rental tower sits 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. Construction scaffolding has started to come down, revealing the brick, metal panel, and glass facade. Completion is set for later this year.
Northwest corner of the block with Watermark Court Square (right) and The Edison (far right).
Close-up of the west facade of Watermark Court Square.
The Edison
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 work on the brick and glass facade is wrapping up. Along with the 105,562 square feet of residential space, the ground floor will feature 6,780-square feet of commercial space.
Looking up at the west facade of Watermark Court Square (left) and The Edison (right).
West facade of Watermark Court Square (left) and The Edison (center), and .
Looking north from the intersection of 44th Drive and Thomson Avenue with The Hayden (left), Watermark Court Square (center), The Edison (right), and 44-28 Purves Street (far right).
44-28 Purves Street
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 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. Work on the facade is nearly complete, with full completion slated for later this year.
The Edison (center) and 44-28 Purves Street (right) from Thomson Avenue.
Looking south on Jackson Avenue towards 44-28 Purves Street.
The Hayden
Located across Jackson Avenue, to the north of the block, Rockrose's 50-story tower is wrapping up construction as well. Designed by SLCE, the 509-foot-tall tower features a facade of window wall and light metal slab covers that emphasize the floor slabs. The tower will offer 974 apartments for rent, comprised of studio, one-, and two-bedrooms. Leasing is set to begin later this year.
Looking up at The Hayden (left), with Watermark Court Square (right) and The Edison (far right) in the background.
Southwest corner of The Hayden from Jackson Avenue.
Looking up at the Hayden.
Architects: Handel Architects (Watermark Court Square), GF55 Partners (The Edison) FXFOWLE (44-28 Purves Street), SLCE (The Hayden); Developers: Twining Properties (Watermark Court Square), Silvercup Studios (The Edison), Brause Realty and the Gotham Organization (44-28 Purves Street), Rockrose (The Hayden); Program: Residential, Retail; Location: Court Square, Long Island City, NY; Completion: 2017.
Manhattan West
Northeast corner of the Manhattan West development with One Manhattan West rising in the foreground.
Construction continues at Brookfield Properties' Manhattan West, the six building mixed use mega-development adjacent to the new Hudson Yards neighborhood. The latest component of the project to begin construction, One Manhattan West, is now rising above street level. Designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM), the 67-story tower will offer 2.1 million square feet of office space when it opens in 2019. A slightly smaller 62-story office tower at Two Manhattan West, also designed by SOM, will follow in 2021.
Close-up of the steel superstructure at One Manhattan West.
Close-up of the steel superstructure at One Manhattan West.
East boundary of the development with 401 West 31st Street (left), 5 Manhattan West (center), and One Manhattan West (right).
Southeast corner of the development.
South boundary of the development.
Situated adjacent to 5 Manhattan West, Brookfield's 62-story, 844-units residential tower at 401 West 31st Street has topped out and much of the glass curtain wall has been installed. The design of the curtain wall includes a horizontal mullion cap at the intermediate mullion directly above the integrated louver for the PTAC units and a pronounced horizontal metal spandrel panel every fourth floor. Design of the tower is by SOM, architects for the two office towers set to eventually rise to the east, with SLCE Architects serving as Architect of Record.
Southeast corner of 401 West 31st Street.
Looking up at the south façade of 401 West 31st Street.
Southwest corner of 401 West 31st Street.
Upper tower of 401 West 31st Street.
At 5 Manhattan West, a 1969 Brutalist office building currently being renovated by REX, installation of the glass curtain wall has completed on all but the corner piers and ground floor spaces. The original precast concrete façade has been removed and replaced with pleated glass curtain wall panels that restore floor area lost in the original sloped design. Occupation in the zone adjacent to the facade was previously impeded by the sloped walls.
Southeast corner of 5 Manhattan West.
Looking up at the south façade of 5 Manhattan West.
The south façade of 5 Manhattan West and
Southwest corner of 5 Manhattan West.
Northwest corner of 5 Manhattan West.
Glass curtain wall panels going up at the northwest corner pier.
Architects: REX (Five Manhattan West), SLCE (401 West 31st Street [Architect of Record], SOM (401 West 31st Street [Design Architect], 1 Manhattan West, Master Plan Architect); Landscape Architects: James Corner Field Operations; Developer: Brookfield; Program: Office, Residential, Retail; Location: Hudson Yards District, New York, NY; Completion: 2016 (Five Manhattan West, 401 West 31st Street); 2020 (One and Two Manhattan West).
Construction Update: 53 West 53rd Street
Construction rises above ground at Jean Nouvel's iconic diagrid tower in Midtown.
After many years in development limbo, the iconic diagrid of Jean Nouvel's 53W53 tower in Midtown has started to rise. Planning for the tower, from developers Hines and Pontiac Land Group with financing from Goldman Sachs, began all the way back 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.
Southwest corner from West 53rd Street.
The tower's signature identity comes from its diagrid structure, the diganolly criss-crossing of normally vertical concrete columns that will be expressed on the facade. Unlike the exposed concrete diagrid at the recently completed 170 Amsterdam, renderings suggest that Nouvel's structure will be clad, perhaps with metal panels.
West facade from West 53rd Street.
When completed, the 82-story tower will include 140 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.
Southeast corner from West 53rd Street.
Southeast corner.
Detail of the tower branding on the sidewalk shed.
Northwest corner from West 54th Street.
North facade from West 54th Street.
Looking up at the north facade from West 54th Street.
Diagrid detail on the north facade.
Diagrid detail on the north facade.
Northeast corner from West 54th Street.
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.
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.