Construction Update: 15 Hudson Yards, aka the Culture Tower, Midtown West

15 Hudson Yards15 Hudson Yards, image by ILNY

Most of the progress so far at Hudson Yards has been on the eastern edge of the site, with 10 Hudson Yards the only tower that’s currently above ground level. But with the decking-over of the Eastern Yards now wrapped-up, YIMBY reader ILNY took the following photos showing that work is finally about to begin on 15 Hudson Yards.

Diller Scofidio + Renfro and the Rockwell Group are designing the building, which has seen several major modifications during the design process. The skyscraper was originally characterized by a corset-like figure, but that has been abandoned in favor of a more streamlined appearance, akin to a multi-barreled fuselage.

15 Hudson Yards

15 Hudson Yards, new on left, old on right, image by Related

Related is the site’s developer, and 15 Hudson Yards will stand 70 stories and 910 feet tall, encompassing 960,000 square feet in total. The building will have a mix of 385 rental apartments and condominiums, and the Culture Shed will also form part of the tower’s base.

15 Hudson Yards

15 Hudson Yards, image by ILNY

Excavation is making major headway across the entire tower’s footprint, and the difference between the pit and street-level is made more dramatic by the platform above the railyards, which raises the effective ground-level of the site to the High Line’s elevation.

This will create a seamless pedestrian experience for those walking the High Line, especially as the park transitions into the currently-under-construction Hudson Boulevard (although a spoke of the High Line does go on to wrap around 34th Street and 11th Avenue — though that will also be integrated into the Boulevard).

15 Hudson Yards

15 Hudson Yards, image by ILNY

Completion of 15 Hudson Yards is tentatively slated for 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

.