Related’s new rental building at 500 West 30th Street is nearly complete, and the facade has reached the tower’s setbacks, just before the pinnacle. The Stern-designed building rises 32 floors and 325 feet, and will be occupied by a total of 386 units; a smaller and slightly taller counterpart to the AVA High Line, which is also coming online this year.
The pre-fabricated facade looks anything but, unless one happens to inspect extremely closely; the metal trim does a good job of hiding the seams between the brick panels. 500 West 30th Street represents a deviation in this regard, as Stern’s work is typically very high-end, while – classically speaking – the use of pre-fabricated materials is not. Modern technology is upending this stereotype, as new construction techniques allow significantly more precision in the manufacture of pre-fab components, and Stern’s example of 500 West 30th Street proves that high-end rental buildings could easily fall to the domain of pre-fabrication within the next decade, or at least parts of their construction.
500 West 30th Street will be Related’s second new building in the neighborhood, as the nearby 529 West 29th Street is also approaching its opening day; the two buildings will cater to different segments of the market, evident in the divergence between the structures’ designs, with the entirety of 529 West 29th Street designated as ‘affordable housing.’
For any questions, comments, or feedback, email [email protected]
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
