Construction Update: 160 West 62nd Street

160 West 62nd Street160 West 62nd Street, by Glenwood

Glenwood’s 160 West 62nd Street has finished rising, and cladding is almost at the top of the building – the tower is a prominent addition to the Upper West Side skyline, and is the tallest building to be built in the neighborhood in the past two decades. Since beginning excavation late in 2011, Glenwood has made rapid progress – 160 West 62nd only emerged from the ground late last year, and rose quickly through 2013.

The residential building has a total of 339 units, and will soon be joined by a 48-story neighbor immediately to the south, which will also be developed by Glenwood. The two towers mark the western edge of Fordham Lincoln Center’s major and continued expansion, which has already added a new law school/dormitory combo – soon, new skyscrapers for the University will begin rising along Columbus Avenue, as well.

160 West 62nd matches the limestone of Lincoln Center and Fordham’s first new building nicely, and if the rest of the block’s development follows suit, the result will be impressive. Large-scale developments with extensive masonry have become exceedingly rare with the advent of modern architecture in the post-war period, and recent years have seen a dramatic shift to an emphasis on glass – not necessarily bad, but on a large scale, the predominance is becoming monotonous.

The change of pace with 160 West 62nd Street is welcome, both in terms of size and design, and especially when comparing the Fordham redevelopment with older neighborhood high-rises, most of which are exceedingly bland or intolerably unattractive. The new tower should open in 2014.

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