Construction Begins On 250 West 55th Street

Further evidence of the renewed boom in Midtown is 250 West 55th Street, a new office building being built by Boston Properties. Designed by SOM, the building is to rise 550 feet and to have 40 stories, encompassing 680,000 square feet of new space.

Construction of 250 West 55th on 10/4/2011: Image from my phone, via flickr

Dominated by the Time Warner Center and the Hearst Building, the neighborhood already has a heavy office presence, although that’s to be expected anywhere in Midtown. 250 West 55th’s immediate vicinity is undergoing very significant changes though, as the new Marriot hotels are going to be rising on the same block but on the side facing Broadway rather than 8th Avenue.

While many will criticize the design as just another glass box, I would actually agree with SOM’s statement on the building’s website (250 West 55th by SOM) that the building shares similarities with Lever House, bringing the International Style firmly into the twenty-first century. The design for 255 West 55th combines simplicity with modernity, and the tower should integrate well into its neighborhood.

Podium of 250 West 55th: Image from SOM, posted on SkyscraperPage by Brian Dino Vabec

Boxy buildings have problems in many cities because they can loom over the rest of the skyline and create a great sense of imbalance, as they are often built completely out of place and out of scale. This is not the case in New York. Indeed, Midtown is dominated by boxy buildings, with the X-Y-Z buildings of Rockefeller Center some of the most notable examples.The close proximity of so many huge boxes gives a feel of synergy to buildings that would normally be considered monstrosities–the vibrancy of Midtown is actually aided by such gargantuan structures, with the resulting concrete canyons resulting in an urban jungle feel that exists nowhere else on the planet. 250 West 55th represents the next step in huge boxes, with the bulkiness and dominance of the building juxtaposed with its facade. Indeed, the play between the glass and the massing of 250 West 55th will be unique for New York boxes and should be a very interesting combination.

After being on-hold for several years, construction on 250 West 55th finally resumed this year and the building is slated for completion in 2013.

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