The Wall Street Journal’s Eliot Brown has the scoop on the architect for Gary Barnett’s 225 West 57th Street, and apparently it is none other than Adrian Smith, formerly of SOM. Kohn Pederson Fox has been snagging many of the highest-profile projects in New York City, so Barnett’s selection of Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architects for the Nordstrom Tower comes as a pleasant surprise. It was originally speculated that Herzog & de Meuron–architects of 56 Leonard Street–would design the tower, though that has apparently been proven false.
No renderings of the tower have been revealed, but given the high caliber of Adrian Smith’s past work under SOM, it is sure to be stunning. SOM’s list of projects includes the tallest building in the world–the Burj Khalifa, in Dubai–as well as a range of other super tall structures. Most recently, Adrian Smith was tapped to design the Kingdom Tower in Saudi Arabia, which will be the world’s tallest at 1,000 meters in height.
With renderings still unavailable, perhaps turning to Smith’s most recent work in New York could still provide clues as to the ultimate design. Smith was tapped to design the Equinox Tower as part of Related’s Hudson Yards development, and that design definitely bears similarities to the Trump International Tower, in Chicago. SOM’s vision for the Grand Central redevelopment was also extremely impressive, although somewhat less practical given the giant floating halo.
Despite uncertainties, what ultimately rises will be 1,550 feet in height, per Department of Building permits. Given Smith’s propensity for (generally) excellent design, the final result should not disappoint.
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| SOM’s Burj Khalifa, just a little taller than 225 West 57th: Image from The Daily Mail, © National News and Pictures |
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So exciting to have a building taller than the Willis tower in Chicago by roof height=), how long will it take for the new rendering to get published?
I cannot wait to see the renderings for this tower, I sincerely hope we get something truly remarkable in design as well as height. Also, it was my understanding that 1550′ was to the highest occupied floor of this tower, and is projected to be a bit taller with mechanical space and possible crown/spire above.
Why does this blurb treat Adrian Smith as an SOM entity? Adrian Smith has his own firm with a very impressive resume. It is pretty disrespectful to mention SOM 8 times and the name of the firm that actually won the project (ASGG) not at all.
You are correct, and the post had been updated. Apologies for the confusion, and credit is definitely due where it’s due; Adrian Smith’s work has been nothing short of fantastic.