Midtown

July 21, 2015

BIG Ideas: Bjarke Ingels Talks 2 WTC and Why Today’s Skyscrapers Lack Confidence

Helping to kick off the 2015 New York Times Cities for Tomorrow conference, Danish architect Bjarke Ingels—principal of Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), the firm responsible for 2 World Trade Center, Google HQ in Mountain View (with Thomas Heatherwick), the Dry Line and the pyramid-shaped “Via,” AKA 625 West 57th Street, among many others—talked “social infrastructure” with New York Times architecture critic Michael Kimmelman. The baby-faced “starchitect 2.0” was his usual quotable and slightly mischievous self, yet, as always, provided plenty of insight on the topic at hand. Well-known for his suggestion that “Architecture at its best is really the power to make the world a little bit more like our dreams," Ingels offered his views on the ideal workspace design, what makes a memorable skyscraper and what some of his toughest challenges have been, in addition to speaking to the architect’s role in the social evolution of modern cities.
Find out the highlights and watch a video of the discussion

Architecture And Design

July 15, 2015

One57 Received $66M in Tax Breaks in Exchange for Just 66 Units of Affordable Housing

By Diane Pham

If you need more proof that there are some serious flaws with the 421-a program, once again, look no further than One57. As reported by the Journal, the super-luxe tower was the beneficiary of a whopping $65.6 million tax cut, an abatement granted in exchange for a paltry $5.9 million contribution to help cover the cost of 66 affordable apartments in the Bronx. That means your tax dollars subsidized apartments at nearly $1 million per unit—the highest known subsidy under the program—when affordable units on average cost a mere $179,000 apiece. It's estimated that the generous cut could have provided for 367 affordable apartments. The findings came from the latest review by the city’s Independent Budget Office (IBO).
FInd out more here

Affordable Housing

Construction Update: Robert A.M. Stern’s 220 Central Park South Begins Race into the Sky

Image courtesy of Desimone Engineering

July 8, 2015

Construction Update: Robert A.M. Stern’s 220 Central Park South Begins Race into the Sky

By Ondel Hylton

Billionaire's Row's race into the sky continues. Two of its biggest projected selling towers are beginning to rise out of their gargantuan foundations and are rushing to claim their piece of coveted Central Park-fronting airspace. Construction of Vornado's 220 Central Park South development has an early lead against Extell Development's significantly larger Central Park Tower (formerly Nordstrom Tower) across West 58th Street. The first level of concrete and re-bar are now poking up above street level and the elevator/stairway cores are now clearly visible to pedestrian passersby.
See new images of the tower here

June 24, 2015

POLL: How Do You Like the Nordstrom Tower’s New Name, Central Park Tower?

By Dana Schulz

We knew the name Nordstrom Tower wasn’t going to stick; the unofficial moniker came only from the fact that the building will have a Nordstrom department store at its base. And just a week after news hit that the supertall from Extell will be the country’s highest by roof height, we’ve learned the official name: Central Park […]

June 16, 2015

Extell’s Nordstrom Tower Will Be the Country’s Tallest by Roof Height

By Diane Pham

The Nordstrom Tower may not become the overall tallest building to ever rise NYC, besting One World Trade Center as previously reported and then rebuffed, but new filings unearthed by NY Yimby show that the supertall will still carry a very worthy, head-craning title. Documents show that the 95-story building will become not only the tallest building by roof height in NYC, but also in the country at 1,522.83 feet.
get the scoop here

May 31, 2015

A Trashcan Inspired the Design of Rafael Viñoly’s 432 Park Avenue

By Diane Pham

Most ideas usually end up in the trash but few ideas are inspired by the basket that holds them. A recent discovery by The Real Deal has revealed that the city's residential tower-of the-moment, 432 Park Avenue, was actually inspired by a Josef Hoffmann-designed wastebasket released in 1905. The revelation came via a talk held last December at the Cornell Center for Real Estate and Finance where Harry Macklowe, the co-developer of the supertall, told the crowd that the repository was an "important touchstone" for the 1,396-foot-high design.
More on the muse here

Architecture And Design

REVEALED: 1 Park Lane Will Be the Next Supertall Central Park South Tower

Rendering via Witkoff

May 27, 2015

REVEALED: 1 Park Lane Will Be the Next Supertall Central Park South Tower

By Dana Schulz

Just a week after Manhattan's Community Board 5 called for a moratorium on shadow-casting Central Park skyscrapers taller than 600 feet, renderings have been revealed for the next supertall tower coming to the periphery of the park. New York Yimby first spotted the images for 1 Park Lane, the 1,210-foot-tall glassy condo that will replace the Helmsley Park Lane Hotel at 36 Central Park South and become the fourth-tallest residential building in the city.
More details ahead

May 22, 2015

Fully-Furnished Rentals Launch at One57

By Dana Schulz

In the past when we've talked about the latest occupancies at billionaires' row blockbuster One57 we were referring to the record-breaking $100 million condo sale (the most expensive in the city ever) or Bill Ackman's $91.5 million flip attempt. But now those looking to get in on the city's most expensive condo building can do so without dropping seven figures in one fell swoop. Extell Development, after selling most of the condos at One57, has quietly listed 38 fully-furnished apartments for rent on the building's seven lower residential floors. But don't get too excited if you're not in the billionaires' club; asking prices range from $13,350/month for a one-bedroom unit to $50,366 for a three-bedroom.
More details ahead

Real Estate Trends

May 20, 2015

POLL: Do You Agree with the Central Park Skyscraper Moratorium?

By Dana Schulz

Yesterday we reported that Community Board Five’s Sunshine Task Force is calling for “an immediate, temporary moratorium on any new construction of 600 feet or taller that is not already undergoing public review, particularly with those threatening to cast shadows over Central Park in an area bounded by 53rd Street and Central Park South, and […]

Photo via Le Travelist

May 20, 2015

Four Seasons Renovation Plans Shot Down by Landmarks Preservation Commission

By Diane Pham

Aby Rosen's plans to update the Four Seasons has been squashed by the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission. According to Crain's, the only upgrade that received a nod from the commission was a request to change the carpet. Bigger renovations, like replacing a non-original fissured glass partition with planters and to replace a fixed walnut panel between the public and private dining rooms with a movable one, were all rejected. "There is no good reason why they should make these changes," said Meenakshi Srinivasan, the commission's chairwoman, Crain's reports. "There's no rationale. The space could function perfectly well without these changes, so why do it?"
Find out more

May 19, 2015

Community Board Wants Moratorium Placed on Central Park Skyscrapers Taller than 600 Feet

By Diane Pham

Those looking to build a behemoth along Central Park may have to look elsewhere. The Manhattan Community Board Five's Sunshine Task Force has voted in favor of a resolution calling for an immediate, temporary moratorium on any new construction of 600 feet or taller that is not already undergoing public review, particularly with those threatening to cast shadows over Central Park in an area bounded by 53rd Street and Central Park South, and Fifth Avenue to Eighth Avenue. The board voiced their concerns and outlined the ban in a policy brief (via DNA Info) which made its way to the desks of the Department of City Planning and the mayor last week.
FInd out more here

FAO Schwarz To Close Flagship Fifth Avenue Store Ahead of Rising Rent

Image: Gary Burke via flickr.

May 18, 2015

FAO Schwarz To Close Flagship Fifth Avenue Store Ahead of Rising Rent

By Michelle Cohen

Beloved toy store FAO Schwarz has announced that it will shutter its midtown Manhattan store on July 15, citing rising rents, reports Bloomberg. Founded in 1862, the store, which is owned by toy chain Toys "R" Us, Inc., is the oldest toy store in the United States. The brand has long been known for its high-end dolls and life-sized stuffed animals and as the stuff of many a tiny tot's fantasies.
What does the future hold for the iconic toy store?

Real Estate Trends

Extell Shoots for a $4.4B Sellout with the Nordstrom Tower, the Most Expensive Ever

Image: the Nordstrom Tower penthouse

May 14, 2015

Extell Shoots for a $4.4B Sellout with the Nordstrom Tower, the Most Expensive Ever

By Diane Pham

Extell has plenty to brag about, from claiming fame to the city's top two most expensive sales to being credited with starting the whole superluxury supertall tower boom. But according to the Wall Street Journal, the development company's head honcho and mastermind Gary Barnett is vying for another record, aiming to make his next skyscraping creation, the Nordstrom Tower, the most expensive building ever sold at $4.4 billion.
more details here

Official Rendering Revealed for Nordstrom Tower: No Surprises but Potential for More Height

Image of Nordstrom Tower/217 West 57th Street, via YIMBY

May 14, 2015

Official Rendering Revealed for Nordstrom Tower: No Surprises but Potential for More Height

By Michelle Cohen

Recent reports revealing a potential pinnacle bump for Extell's supertall planned for 217 West 57th Street, followed by a statement by Extell's Gary Barnett denying the new height report–which would have the tower outstreching One World Trade Center–have discussion once again focused on the world's tallest residential tower-in-waiting. Today NY Yimby reports that an official Extell rendering of the project confirms it will match earlier versions of the plans as well as previously-revealed in-house images.
Find out the latest on the tower's height

The Nordstrom Tower Will Not Be Taller than 1 World Trade Center, Says Developer Gary Barnett

Rendering of the tower NY Yimby

May 12, 2015

The Nordstrom Tower Will Not Be Taller than 1 World Trade Center, Says Developer Gary Barnett

By Diane Pham

Yesterday, new details on Extell's Nordstrom Tower were leaked, stating that the tower's height had been stretched 20 feet to trump the One World Trade Center. But it looks like the news was all fodder as Extell Development boss Gary Barnett has stepped out denying that his supertall slated for 217 West 57th Street will reach such heights. The NY Post spoke with Barnett late yesterday and the developer told the paper that the tower “will categorically not be taller than One World Trade Center.” Barnett clarified that the building will reach 1,775 feet (with its spire) as planned, which is just one foot shorter than the One World Trade Center.
More on what Barnett had to say

NYC’s 1940s ‘Dream Airport’ Would Have Been on a Giant Midtown Rooftop

Manhattan Airport image via Archidose

May 12, 2015

NYC’s 1940s ‘Dream Airport’ Would Have Been on a Giant Midtown Rooftop

By Dana Schulz

Imagine never having to sit in hours of traffic heading to JFK or enduring all the local stops on the 7 line trying to get to LaGuardia? Your dreams almost came true in 1946 with the proposed 990-acre Manhattan Airport, which would have "stretched 144 blocks from 24th to 71st Streets and 9th Ave to the Hudson River at 200 feet above street level," according to Untapped. The idea of real-estate mogul William Zeckendorf, who owned the Chrysler Building and Astor Hotel, the airport would have cost a whopping $3 billion, a staggering sum in the 1940s, which was planned to be paid off in 55 years from rental income.
More on NYC's Manhattan Airport

Nordstrom Tower Adds 20 Feet to Become the Tallest Building in NYC and Western Hemisphere

Rendering of the tower at its new height by NY Yimby

May 11, 2015

Nordstrom Tower Adds 20 Feet to Become the Tallest Building in NYC and Western Hemisphere

By Diane Pham

One World Trade Center's claim to the title as the city's tallest building could soon be nil. NY Yimby reports that the ultra-super-tall Nordstrom Tower at 217 West 57th Street has experienced a growth spurt that's pushed its already jaw-dropping height from 1,775 to 1,795-feet. Though the addition of 20 feet seems insignificant for a skyscraper of such size, the consequences are not: The tower will now not only be the tallest building in the city (19 feet higher than 1 WTC) when completed, but also the tallest in the U.S. and the western hemisphere.
FInd out more here

May 7, 2015

$13M Madison Avenue Condo Will Have One of the City’s Largest Private Pools

By Dana Schulz

Now that $1 million parking spots are the new norm and luxury apartment buildings are all but expected to offer outrageous amenities like vitamin C-infused showers, pet spas, and bowling alleys, developers have to get creative with their over-the-top offerings. So, how about a private swimming pool one-third the length of an Olympic pool? According to the Daily News, that's exactly what's up for grabs at newcomer 172 Madison Avenue. "It’s the Pacific Ocean compared to the wading pools in even the fanciest new condo buildings," says the paper, and that's certainly true considering it will be 50 feet long.
More here

Extell Looks to Religion to Build Its Next 57th Street Supertall Tower

The possible skyline in 2018, via CityRealty

May 4, 2015

Extell Looks to Religion to Build Its Next 57th Street Supertall Tower

By Dana Schulz

In the past, it was street names like Park Avenue and Central Park West that signaled a building's wealth and prestige, but these days it's gotten confined to a much shorter thoroughfare, 57th Street. Appropriately dubbed Billionaires' Row, the stretch has gotten much heat lately for its influx of supertall towers casting shadows on Central Park just to the north. Three of the towers in this sky-high lineup belong to Extell Development: the under-construction Nordstrom Tower at 217 West 57th Street, which will be the tallest residential building in the world when completed; 111 West 57th Street; and everyone's favorite One57. But now, as Crain's reveals, Extell is looking to expand its 57th Street portfolio with the site of the current Calvary Baptist Church and the Salisbury Hotel at 123 West 57th Street, on the same block as 111 West 57th and One57. As the paper reports, the church "will soon decide whether it will sell its sanctuary and 197-room hotel" to the developer.
More on the possible project here

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week, 4/23-4/28

Image: Sakura Matsuri at the BK Botanical Garden by Liz Ligon

April 23, 2015

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week, 4/23-4/28

By Lori Zimmer

In a city where hundreds of interesting happenings occur each week, it can be hard to pick and choose your way to a fulfilling life. Art Nerd‘s philosophy is a combination of observation, participation, education and of course a party to create the ultimate well-rounded week. Jump ahead for ArtNerd founder Lori Zimmer’s top picks for 6sqft readers, beginning tonight! Spring means another week of great events, kicking off with one of my own at the fabulous historic Roger Smith Hotel. This week, spend 12 hours celebrating philosophy, shop the best in home design for a cause, enjoy the authentic Lower East Side, or let art save your soul at the Rubin Museum. You can also celebrate spring Japanese style at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden, take a selfie at Rockefeller Center, or school yourself at the Guggenheim.
All the best events here

New Renderings Revealed for 217 West 57th Street, the Will-Be Tallest Residential Building in the World

Rendering via NY Yimby

April 20, 2015

New Renderings Revealed for 217 West 57th Street, the Will-Be Tallest Residential Building in the World

By Dana Schulz

It's been relatively quiet on the Nordstrom Tower front since we saw some skyline renderings in September. But now YIMBY has uncovered the official renderings for Extell's 217 West 57th Street, the 92-story, 1,775-foot supertall that will take the title of tallest residential building in the world when completed, surpassing Mumbai’s World One Tower by 29 feet. The images continue to show how the tower will dominate the skyline, but they also give us a detailed look at the façade and a peek into one of the penthouses.
See all the renderings here

REVEALED: SL Green to Build Another Times Square Spectacular at 719 Seventh Avenue

Image courtesy of Akueous Design

April 10, 2015

REVEALED: SL Green to Build Another Times Square Spectacular at 719 Seventh Avenue

By Ondel Hylton

Here's our first look at what commercial heavyweights SL Green have in mind for a small Times Square corner at 719 Seventh Avenue and West 48th Street. Building permits filed earlier this month call for a four-story, 9,000 square-foot retail building designed by TPG Architecture. Demolition permits were filed back in December and the doomed three-story structure is already shrouded in construction netting and scaffolding. The site also shares its Seventh Avenue block-front with Witkoff's upcoming 40-story Marriott Edition Hotel that will flash one of the largest LED displays in the city.
Find out more on the project here

April 10, 2015

VIDEO: Illegal ’60s Rooftop Concert in Midtown Shows the People and Architecture of Another NYC

By Diane Pham

It was the winter of 1968 when Jefferson Airplane took to the rooftop of the Schuyler Hotel in Manhattan. The band had just released their fourth album and had also just made the cover of LIFE magazine. High on life—and likely some other stuff—they blasted from their PA atop the nine-story hotel Midtown hotel: "Hello New York! New York, wake up you fuckers! Free music! Nice songs! Free love!" The band got a solid crowd going and at least one song in, but it didn't take very long for the NYPD to show up—the concert was causing traffic jams on the surrounding streets as New Yorkers crowded around the hotel to get a better look. Although the concert was quickly broken up, it was also captured on video by none other than Jean Luc Godard and D.A. Pennebaker. (Fun side fact: Many claim that the Beatles ripped off the band's performance with their show atop a London building about two months later.)
Watch the video here

History

April 9, 2015

Bill Ackman Closes on One57 Penthouse for $91.5M, Second Most Expensive Condo Sale Ever

By Dana Schulz

After reportedly sitting in contract for almost two years, hedge fund manager Bill Ackman’s planned $90 million flip at One57 has finally closed, according to city records released this afternoon, and for slightly more than expected at $91,541,053. This makes it the second most expensive condo sale ever, coming in only behind the $100 million penthouse also at One57, […]

Real Estate Trends

April 9, 2015

VIDEO: Meet the ‘Pimps and Hos’ of Seedy ’70s Times Square

By Diane Pham

Although Times Square has transformed into a commercial beast filled to the brim with advertising, its very sordid and seedy past is certainly not lost on us. One man who found himself in the midst of the area when it was considered the worst block in town was Sheldon Nadelman. From 1972 to 1980, Nadelman worked at Terminal Bar—the city's “roughest bar" by many accounts—directly across from the Port Authority. Between pouring drinks, Nadelman found himself snapping photos of the folks who passed through. Over his decade-long stint, he accumulated a collection of more than 1,500 photos. His subjects were diverse ranging from actors to cooks to business people to tourists to, of course, the pimps and prostitutes that roamed the surrounding streets.
Watch the video here

History

April 6, 2015

Interior Renderings for SHoP’s 111 West 57th Street Tower Revealed

By Diane Pham

Hot on the heels of last week's release of a new teaser site and rendering showing just how tall, slender and skyline-changing SHoP Architect's new tower at 111 West 57th Street will be, comes brand new renderings of the exterior and, for the first time, a look at the interiors. The images, uncovered by YIMBY, show the bronze and terra cotta supertall's elegant column-free spaces, as well as the incredible unobstructed views afforded by its 1,428 feet.
Inside the supertall here

EVENT: Here’s Your Chance to Get Inside 432 Park Avenue

Image © dbox

April 6, 2015

EVENT: Here’s Your Chance to Get Inside 432 Park Avenue

By Diane Pham

We've all seen more than our fair share of 432 Park Avenue's facade around town, but finally here comes an opportunity to get inside the building. The Storefront for Art and Architecture has just announced that the Viñoly supertall will be the site of their 2015 spring benefit, TRANS. The gala, being held Tuesday, April 21st, 2015, will be the first public event hosted at the unopened building, and by the looks of the program, it also promises to be as starchitect-studded and "transcendent" as these things get.
Find out how to attend here

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