Jean Nouvel’s 53 West 53rd Street (53W53) has topped out in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Rising 73 floors, the 145-condominium scheme is topped by a $70 million duplex, where celebrations were held last week attended by Nouvel, as reported by New York YIMBY.
Once the scheme has reached its peak of 1,050 feet, it will be tied with the Chrysler Building and New York Times Building as the sixth-tallest in New York City.
Formerly known as Tower Verre, the scheme is also referred to as the MoMA Expansion Tower, given the 50,000-square-foot exhibition space offered to the institution as part of the program. Financed by a $450 million investment, the wing is set to open in 2019. Residents of 53W53 will have free access to MoMA, and opportunities to host private events at the museum’s Sculpture Garden.
Architecture is art, and architecture is born from its situation, from its context. It’s the context, as an idea, as a concept, that defines the overall architecture. That’s why you’ll never find two projects of mine that will be similar.
-Jean Nouvel speaking at the topping-out ceremony of 53W53
As 53W53 grows in front of New York’s eyes, the concrete skeleton currently standing forms the basis for the exposed structural system referred to by Nouvel as ‘diagrid,' with the tower's silhouette ode to the iconic buildings that already grace the horizon in New York. The scheme’s cladding is defined by gold and silver foiled setbacks, simultaneously contrasting and blending with the sky.
Upon occupation, residents of 53W53 will have access to an on-site library, private theatre, lounge, lap pool, and wine vault, and services such as housekeeping, pet walking, and pantry stocking.
News via: New York YIMBY