The Durst Organization Tops-Out Bjarke Ingels’ 450’ Tall 625 West 57th Street

High Rise Facilities | October 31, 2014
26 26 ×

625 West 57th StreetThe Durst Organization has topped out 625 West 57th Street. A final bucket of structural cement was hoisted to the top of the 450’ tall building on October 31st to mark the completion of the superstructure and the beginning of the final phase of construction.

“When we first designed this building a lot of people told us that it couldn’t be built,” said Jonathan (Jody) Durst, President of The Durst Organization. “The naysayers said it was too complex and that the trades could never get the job done. We knew better. Despite its complex and unique form we had faith in our design team and knew that the New York construction trades were up to the task. And for their hard work and professionalism, we are profoundly grateful.”

The 709-unit rental building, designed by BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group), has a unique tetrahedron design and is one of the most architecturally distinctive buildings ever constructed in New York City. This was Bjarke Ingels’ first North American project. Ground was broken in 2013 and the lease-up begins at the end of 2015. The building will include 55,000 square feet of retail space and 141 affordable rental units. The building boasts an unrivaled suite of amenities including 24,000 square feet of landscaped outdoor space, a swimming pool, basketball court, full-service gym, poker room, screening room, a golf simulator, multiple lounges/ party rooms and a children’s playroom.

West 57th Street project is a hybrid between the European perimeter block and a traditional Manhattan high-rise development. The building’s unique shape combines the advantages of both: the compactness and efficiency of a courtyard building providing density, a sense of intimacy and with the airiness and the expansive views of a skyscraper. The form of the building shifts depending on the viewer’s vantage point. While appearing like a pyramid from the West-Side-Highway, it turns into a dramatic glass spire from West 58th Street.

The courtyard, which is inspired by both the classic Copenhagen urban oasis and Central Park, can be seen from the street and serves to visually extend the adjacent greenery of the Hudson River Park into the West 57th development. The slope of the building allows for a transition in scale between the riverfront and the high-rise residential towers to the north of the site. The highly visible sloping roof is perforated by terraces—each one unique. Every apartment gets a bay window to amplify the benefits of the generous view and balconies. Careful consideration was devoted to the window design of each apartment allowing for maximum privacy, views of the 20,000 square foot courtyard or an unobstructed stretch of the river.

In addition to the building’s unique design, it features a number of cutting-edge sustainable features including: heat recovery for exhaust and outside air systems; rainwater collection for cooling tower make-up and irrigation; use of The Helena’s (neighboring high-rise) surplus treated water for cooling tower make-up and irrigation; radiant heat in public areas; VFD (variable frequency drive) motors for all pumps, fans; garage ventilation on CO metered system; and hybrid heat pumps, which have high EER and uses less energy in the heating season.

Rendering courtesy of BIG

Similar Articles:

Tags: , , , ,

Category: New York City

«
»
26 Twitter 0 Facebook 18
+ 0 LinkedIn 8 StumbleUpon 0 Email -- Email to a friend 26 ×