Tadao Ando has unveiled his first New York building. An “ultra-luxury” condominium project known as 152 Elizabeth Street, the 32,000-square-foot building will replace an existing parking lot with a concrete structure comprised of seven residences - all of which will be “treated as custom homes” and “individually configured.”
“Part concrete, part jewel box, the building makes a strong yet quiet statement with a façade comprised of voluminous glass, galvanized steel and flanked by poured in-place concrete and a living green wall that rises the height of the building,” says the architects. The green wall, measuring 55-feet-high and 99-feet-wide and spanning the entire southern façade, is expected to be one of the largest in New York and will be designed by landscaping firm M. Paul Friedberg and Partners.
“One of the building’s signature design features is found in its vestibule, a floor-to ceiling water wall with grooved glass panels that is naturally backlit by diffused natural light,” said the architects, commenting on the building’s design which will reference four primary elements - light, sound, air, and water. “Residents and visitors immediately experience the tension between light and shadow, with light piercing through slits in the walls, animating the room’s architectural concrete surfaces.”
“Complementing the water wall in the front vestibule, the lobby will host another design feature with atmospheric quality and elemental presence. Carved within the exterior concrete wall parallel to the East elevation of the lobby will be a dynamic fog and light installation that interacts with the natural environment. The ever-changing installation will transition naturally depending on the time of day, night, weather conditions and season. Paired with the ambient noise from the water wall, the volume of illuminated mist furthers the sensory experience, creating a sanctuary from the bustling city immediately upon entering the building. The accessibility of these environmental features in the building’s public spaces serve to provide a cohesive sense of pleasure and visual stimulation.”
152 Elizabeth Street will be developed in Nolita by Sumaida + Khurana. Ando will collaborate with Michael Gabellini on the building's interiors.
