111 West 57th Street is finally ready for its close-up, as the new renderings above show – and it does not disappoint. Michael Stern of JDS Development, which will build the 1,350-foot supertall, had previously said the design would “be very reminiscent of the skyscrapers built in the 20’s and 30’s,” and it certainly will, with a modern twist.
Though the design is far-removed from the classic form of buildings like The Chrysler and The Woolworth, 111 West 57th is nonetheless ‘New York’ in its soaring ambitions, proportions, and use of extremely high-end materials. SHoP, the tower’s architects, will use terra cotta tiles and bronze accents to form the building’s lot-line facade, which will possibly be more stunning than the side facing Central Park; indeed, in the aspect of terra cotta, 111 West 57th Street will resemble the Woolworth, just with an extremely different form.
Many have likened The Steinway Tower to ‘The Stairway to Heaven,’ an apt comparison given the supertall’s staircase-like form, stepping upwards to its northern apex. Also notable is the visible separation between each of the tower’s floors; this is becoming an increasingly common design element in New York’s residential supertalls, like 432 Park Avenue, though 111 West 57th Street takes it to another level, incorporating perforations between each and every floor.
The latest renderings confirm that 111 West 57th Street will join the ranks of New York’s architectural icons, and the tower will be SHoP’s first true show-stopper on the skyline. In this regard, the firm will surpass Gehry, Stern, and Portzamparc – all famous starchitects – in its place on the cityscape, as The Steinway Tower will easily tower over the largest creations of the aforementioned architects. Indeed, as the above images show, even One57 will look diminutive compared to SHoP’s crown jewel of 57th Street.
While the tower is awaiting financing, the residential market is red-hot – especially along 57th Street – and JDS’ acquisition of Steinway is a positive sign that the tower will move forward. Given the firm’s success with Walker Tower, and their proven penchant for delivering uber-luxe projects with extremely high-end design, confidence in 111 West 57th Street’s completion is definitely there – and now New Yorkers must simply wait for construction to begin.
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There’s also this great image of the 57th street entrance. http://jdsdevelopmentgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/57th-st-5-983×1024.jpg Goes the extra step in preserving the Steinway facade with those glass walls.
Got it, and yes it does – pleasantly surprised that Steinway will be preserved. The lobby of the new tower will be fantastic as well – those ceilings are enormous!