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New York City is adding to its already impressive lineup of observation decks, this time setting a record for the highest outdoor viewing platform in the Western Hemisphere. Edge at 30 Hudson Yards cantilevers 80 feet from the 100th floor of the recently completed supertall tower to provide guests with panoramic views across the skyline, and below their feet through a glass floor.
Perched 345 metres above the busy streets of Manhattan, officials from Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates celebrated the opening with developers Related Companies and Oxford Properties Group yesterday. The 7,500-square-foot outdoor viewing area is shaped by a triangular footprint, angled glass walls and a procession of steps between the 100th to the 101st floor.
"The Edge observation deck is the most dramatic in a series of gestures which link KPF's buildings, in the Hudson Yards development, to the principal surrounding structures of the city," said William Pedersen, KPF Founding and Design Principal. "Gesturing directly towards the Empire State Building, and higher than its observation deck, Edge pays homage to its role as the most emblematic of all New York buildings."
Totalling 765,000 pounds, the observation deck is composed of 15 different sections, each weighing between 35,000 and 100,000 pounds. Anchored to the south and east sides of the building, the protruding platform is encased with 79 nine-foot-tall glass panels measuring two inches thick. The panels, which were manufactured in Germany and finished in Italy, are placed on a 6.6-degree outward angle to allow guests to lean in for a better view. The glass panels are also free of mullions, permitting an obstruction-free experience.
At 395 metres tall, 30 Hudson Yards is the second-tallest office building in the city and the tallest tower in the expansive Hudson Yards development. The Class A tower provides a home for a number of high-profile companies, including Warner Media and its subsidiaries HBO, CNN and Warner Brothers. 30 Hudson Yards was designed in unison with 10 Hudson Yards.
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