There are many luxury condominiums being constructed around the world, but rarely do they offer a rooftop observatory and private terrace 64 storeys above the busy streets of New York City. SkyriseCities recently toured this unique amenity space and took in the views at 50 West, a project by Manhattan-based Time Equities, Inc.

50 West from West Street and Albany Street, image by Nada Laskovski

The Helmut Jahn-designed building adds to a long list of impressive landmarks by the Chicago-based architect, including Berlin's Sony Center and Philadelphia's Liberty Place. Philip Castillo, Executive Vice President of JAHN, provided an overview of the building using the scale model for reference. 

Philip Castillo, Executive Vice President of JAHN, image by Nada Laskovski

The tower's concrete frame has reached its final height with bright orange netting surrounding the upper floors of the building. A blue curtain wall now shields the structure from the elements on most floors. 

What the finished observatory will look like, image courtesy of JAHN

The slanted roofline of the 783-foot tower dramatically frames the observatory level on the 64th floor. When completed, the space will act as a landscaped terrace offering binocular viewers, an outdoor kitchen, two barbecues, a banquet table, and private dining areas. Though the views were spoiled by stormy weather during the tour, on clear days, the high vantage point looks out onto New York Harbor, the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and both the Hudson and East Rivers. 

On top of the 64th floor, image by Nada Laskovski

The 191 luxury condominium residences within the building are currently being finished. Concrete walls, ceilings and floors provide an outer shell for what will be the Thomas Juul-Hansen-appointed interiors. 

The 50th floor, image by Nada Laskovski

Views are maximized courtesy of the building's curved form and its floor-to-ceiling glass windows. 

Curved floor plates maximize views, image by Nada Laskovski

A number of additional amenities will be housed within the building. The Water Club at 50 West Street includes a 60-foot swimming pool joined by a sauna, steam room, and hot tub. A fitness centre spanning an entire floor provides the latest exercise equipment, while a golf simulator, theatre room, library, games room, and children's play areas add further entertainment options. 

The building's boiler room, image by Nada Laskovski

The third floor of 50 West contains 15 commercial condominiums ranging from 280 to 830 square feet. 

The base of 50 West, image by Nada Laskovski

The images above and below show the external tower crane and elevator hoist stretched along the entire height of the building. 

Looking up at 50 West, image by Nada Laskovski

The tower is now one of the tallest in Lower Manhattan, making itself stand out from various views around the city. Its presence was certainly felt from Four World Trade Center during a separate tour SkyriseCities attended. 

50 West from Four World Trade Center, image by Edward Skira

In addition to the photos above, we've put together a brief video capturing the inside of the construction hoist as it ascends the building to the spacious, albeit wet, rooftop observatory:

The building had been scheduled for a late 2016 completion and is still on track to meet that date. We'll continue to track this project and we invite you to update its status by visiting the Forum thread. You can also check out the Database file linked below or leave a comment at the bottom of this page.