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EarthCam has released a 4K construction time-lapse movie showing the mammoth scale of the Hudson Yards project, the largest private real estate development in the history of the United States. Opened to the public in March, the first phase of the multi-tower Manhattan development, developed by Related Companies and Oxford Properties, employed some of the world's most recognizable architectural heavyweights.
Two platforms supported by 300 caissons form the plinth for the project, which bridges over 30 active Long Island Railroad tracks and three subsurface rail tunnels. The EarthCam video shows the intricate decking of the rail corridor coinciding with the installation of curtain wall cladding on the Kohn Pedersen Fox-designed 10 Hudson Yards, which was completed in 2016.
The remaining skyscrapers progressed largely in unison. Diller Scofidio + Renfro's 15 Hudson Yards started construction in late 2014 and reached its final height in February 2018. Opening earlier this year, the 285-unit residential tower is connected to the Hudson Yards Cultural Shed, a new performance and arts hub.
Kohn Pedersen Fox also designed 30 Hudson Yards, a spiritual sibling to the first tower in the complex. The 80-storey oblique skyscraper features a cantilevered observation deck and completed construction in March alongside SOM's hotel, condo, office and retail complex 35 Hudson Yards.
The boxy 55 Hudson Yards, again by Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates, topped out in August 2017. The 240-metre-tall office tower is not located over the rail yard and was excluded in the original master plan, as was 50 Hudson Yards, which began foundation work last year.
The first phase also produced a seven-storey mall called Shops and Restaurants of Hudson Yards, introducing 100 shops, 20 restaurants and one million square feet of space to the neighbourhood. Thomas Heatherwick's Vessel, a new permanent observation platform overlooking the site, was unveiled at the same time.
EarthCam's gigapixel cameras documented 500,000 hours of imagery and three million megapixel photographs to produce the time-lapse video. "It's been a rewarding experience working with The Related Companies to document this iconic development," said Brian Cury, CEO and Founder of EarthCam. "The massive scale of this project presented unique challenges, requiring continual reprogramming of more than 72 unique robotic camera angles positioned around Manhattan's West Side and across the Hudson River in New Jersey. We hope this time-lapse does justice to the story of this epic achievement."
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