This 2020 New York will inaugurate the first skyscraper of the Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza, one of the fathers of contemporary architecture.
Buildings are not living beings, but our need for them is so strong that, unfailingly, we attribute sensitive characteristics to them, such as their degree of beauty, referring to their aesthetics. Also, of course, its health condition, when we define a sick building by its degree of influence on our health; your kindness, referring to its functionality, etc. That is why today I am going to allow myself the license to present you this week’s skyscraper with the main characteristic that, in my opinion, it has: elegance.
This marvel of aesthetics is currently under construction and replaces a six-story building. The previous building was executed in terracotta brick and painted in white and red. It was located at 611 West 56th Street in New York or, as New Yorkers would say, 611 West 56th Street in Hell’s Kitchen. The demolition of this building gave way to the execution of a new skyscraper based on the design of the Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza.
A 134-meter skyscraper of comfort, privacy and elegance
It should be noted that this building is the first work carried out in New York by the Pritzker Prize for architecture, and that it is 87 years old, which speaks very well of its state of form. Its construction was scheduled to be completed in 2018, but the search for financing delayed the work. Now, with the structure completed and the carpentry almost finished, it is expected to open for the autumn of 2020. The tower reaches 37 floors, spread over 134 meters in height and has a constructed area of 11,450 square meters. Inside there are no more and no less than 80 residences with between one and four bedrooms.
Álvaro Siza, through his idea of «poetic modernism», has focused on the property his way of conceiving the home, that is, a place of comfort, intimacy, simplicity and efficiency, something also closely linked to elegance. The tower rises making the most of its rectangular shape to locate the huge stained glass windows on three of its facades, so that the interior space can be subdivided into light-filled apartments.
A facade covered in pearl limestone
The facade is the lighthouse on which we must reflect, the first impression that a building gives us and that, surely, we will always take inside. The tower has a proportional pattern of oversized joinery that allows for very thick stripes, both vertical and horizontal. At the top, a large 16-meter-high monolith stands out, as if it were a hat, or a beautiful white flowerpot. The exterior of the building is covered with a limestone called Perla, with a whitish tone that is more evident the further away from the building we are.
For the construction of the reinforced concrete structure and the rest of the tasks derived from the execution itself, the construction company Foundations Group required the largest crane in New York. Sure you wonder how it is possible to have taller skyscrapers in the Big Apple, but the simple answer: climbing cranes are used for very tall towers, which go up with the construction of the new plants. On the façade, the enclosures have been made with vibrated concrete blocks, which will serve as support for the limestone cladding.
Views of the Hudson River and Central Park
The right choice of architect was made by the developers, the Sumaida + Khurana company, who assert that «New York developers tend to focus on the transitory versus the timeless.» They also add: «The objective with our projects is the complete opposite of that. We care about the details and creating something refined and discreet, an architecture that stands the test of time ”. Something that they have probably achieved with this unique property.
The company in charge of the design of the residences is called Gabellini Sheppard, and they have taken advantage of the brightness of the building to propose apartments with one to four bedrooms, among which two spacious duplexes and three fantastic penthouses stand out. They highlight the building’s views of the buildings over the Hudson River or the silhouette of the buildings that surround Central Park. They also boast of both the elevators that disembark inside the homes, except those of a room, a detail that generates a feeling of exclusivity.
11 luxurious properties are for sale
The penthouses include a terrace, and a different concept of home, just as the two duplexes have. The interior designers have opted for quality and craftsmanship, introducing natural stones and marbles in the finishes of flooring and cladding. Wood is another noble material that can be seen everywhere, even on custom duplex stairs with glass railing. It should be noted that the buildings have large spaces and practical distributions, although the best homes are located on the highest floors and in the corners, where they have 270 degrees of vision.
There are only 11 properties for sale. Four one-bedroom apartments, between 47 and 80 square meters, and with prices ranging from 1.26 to 1.86 million dollars (1.17 and 1.72 euros). Another four two-bedroom apartments, between 100 and 130 square meters, and with prices between 2.42 and 4.02 million dollars (2.24 and 3.72 euros). Two houses of 143 square meters, with three bedrooms and a price of 3.49 and 4.75 million dollars (3.23 and 4.40 euros). And a fabulous penthouse that occupies the entire 33rd floor, covering 311 square meters, with a market value of 11.24 million dollars (10.40 euros).
All kinds of luxuries and good location
The skyscraper has generous common areas, such as an outdoor garden on a mezzanine floor, gym, sauna, yoga room, media room with a classic pool table, games room for the smallest of the house, dining room with catering and 40 parking spaces. Residents can walk to Central Park in 15 minutes, visit Hudson Yards in 30 minutes on foot, and enjoy an afternoon of art by visiting Lincoln Center or the Metropolitan in 11 minutes on foot. There is no room for boredom in this very elegant skyscraper.