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While New York City is bustling with striking highrise developments, some of which reach the 1000-foot mark, smaller projects are not to be overlooked when it comes to cutting-edge architecture. A new drone video recently released on Vimeo shows Bjarke Ingels Group and SLCE Architects' latest work in the Big Apple, the pyramid-shaped VIA 57 WEST. Located on the banks of the Hudson River on West 57th Street, the building has reached its final height and is making quite an impression when seen from 12th Avenue or above.
Rising to a maximum height of 142 metres and 32 storeys on the northeast corner of the site, the steel structure gradually lowers as it reaches the southwest corner, finally settling three floors above street level. The inner rectangular courtyard spanning the entire length of the building is yet to be completed but will soon be transformed into an elevated park with trees and grass growing several levels above ground. More than 600 rental units will be added to the area when the project is complete.
The residents who will eventually move into the north and south-facing units will not only enjoy views of the city, but also views of the Hudson River and New Jersey thanks to protruding blocks, sticking out of the facade and leaning west to create direct views for most of these dwellings. While green-tinted glass and what appears to be grey metallic cladding cover the vertical faces of the building, the "slopes" are covered in a similar but slightly paler cladding, giving it a mountainous appearance. The smoothness of the slopes are only interrupted by the terraces, an element featured in every unit on this section of the building.
Hell's Kitchen tetrahedron, developed by Durst Organization, will certainly become one of the city's landmarks when completed later next year. Additional information and renderings can be found in our VIA 57 WEST dataBase entry, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum thread, or leave a comment using the space provided at the bottom of this page.
