YIMBY has brought you continual updates on the progress of Extell’s 217 West 57th Street, a.k.a. Nordstrom Tower (officially Central Park Tower), and now we have the first photos of what the facade for the building will actually look like, as well as an update on progress. The image comes from an anonymous tipster and shows the glass that will appear over the top of the Nordstrom floors, crowning the retail podium in a series of undulating curves, and demarcating the boundary between the pedestrian realm and the supertall that will cantilever up above.
217 West 57th Street/Nordstrom Tower, photo by Andrew McKeon
Progress has already been substantial on the tower, and the latest photos sent in by Andrew McKeon confirm that the project is already beginning to reach visual parity with surrounding structures, at only a few floors in height. The first few levels will have enormous ceilings, with Nordstrom’s seven floors topping-out 280 feet above 57th Street.
The concrete core of the project is most obvious in these photos, and it obscures much of the steel for the retail portion. This is the part of the building that will ultimately support the cantilever that begins almost 300 feet up, where the tower will duck to the right of 220 Central Park South, now rising across the street.
217 West 57th Street/Nordstrom Tower and 220 Central Park South, photo by Andrew McKeon
That building also figures prominently in these photos, and since our last update two weeks ago and our reveal of the final design last week, progress there has been surprisingly swift. 220 Central Park South has quickly gone from 10 floors to about 15, and it appears as though the more complicated mechanical floors that take up the lowest levels have now been surpassed, which means what’s now rising will hold actual condominiums.
220 Central Park South, photo by Andrew McKeon
With standardized floorplates a main feature of Stern buildings and 30 Park Place serving as a recent example of his work in the city, 220 CPS should continue moving forward at a quick pace.
As for 217 West 57th Street, it seems as though the concrete is rising faster than the steel for the retail podium, which means that the Nordstrom’s configuration might not be a barrier to seeing the tower rise at a relatively quick pace, even as it climbs through the more complicated lower levels.
217 West 57th Street/Nordstrom Tower/Central Park Tower Facade
Ultimately the building will top out 1,550 feet above the ground with completion set for 2019, when it will become the tallest building in the country and the Western Hemisphere by roof. Across the street, 220 CPS will reach 950 feet and is scheduled to be finished in 2018.
Subscribe to YIMBY’s daily e-mail
Follow YIMBYgram for real-time photo updates
Like YIMBY on Facebook
Follow YIMBY’s Twitter for the latest in YIMBYnews
