YIMBY Takes in the Rising Skyline From Atop 53 West 53rd Street, in Midtown

The three apexes on the upper floors of the building. Photo by Michael Young

YIMBY recently went on a hard hat tour of the upper floors of Jean Nouvel’s 53 West 53rd Street residential skyscraper. The uniquely tapered diagrid structure is topped out at 1,050 feet with the façade almost entirely installed. The supertall is being developed by Hines, while SLCE Architects and Adamson Associates are the architects of record. Corcoran Sunshine is handling the marketing and sales of the units.

Rockefeller Center and the rest of the Midtown skyline with Lower Manhattan in the background. Photo by Michael Young

The Empire State Building and One World Trade Center. Photo by Michael Young

One Vanderbilt looking south. Photo by Michael Young

Hudson Yards. Photo by Michael Young

The Chrysler Building and MetLife Building. Photo by Michael Young

One Vanderbilt seen through the diagrid of 53 West 53rd Street. Photo by Michael Young

A duplex unit with inward-sloping, double-height walls that frame the view of Central Park. Photo by Michael Young

Unobstructed views of Central Park in the morning light. Photo by Michael Young

A rendering of what the duplex will look like with sunset lighting. Rendering via 53 West 53rd Street’s website

Billionaires’ Row and Central Park looking north. Photo by Michael Young

The three apexes on the upper floors of the building. Photo by Michael Young

The photo above illustrates the contrast created by the reinforced concrete diagrid and the curtain wall panels that directly overlay the support columns. Several panels have yet to be installed on the top floors of the southern elevation where one of the construction cranes used to sit. The mechanical hoist on the northern side of the slender skyscraper is still attached, but should be dismantled in the coming months.

Future residents of 53 West 53rd Street will receive benefactor memberships to the Museum of Modern Art, as well as curated benefits and privileges to host private events in the museum’s sculpture garden.

Work on 53 West 53rd Street is expected to be completed by the end of the year. In addition to construction of the tower, the MoMA will be temporarily closed from June 15, 2019 to October 21, 2019 while the Diller Scofidio + Renfro-designed expansion is executed.

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12 Comments on "YIMBY Takes in the Rising Skyline From Atop 53 West 53rd Street, in Midtown"

  1. Please pardon me for using your space: It are toothsome on headway. (Correct it for me)

  2. Has construction on 111 W 57th halted? Have not seen upward progress in months.

    • 111W57 almost topped out, now they are finishing concrete on top crown, what’s gradually disappearing in the sky, and more concentrate on facade now than finishing that crown. Usually it took more time for supertall building finishing to pour concrete for the top of building than constructing lower and medium part of it. It’s pretty normal process for buildings over 1,000 feet. Even they are not looking that dramatically tall from street level, from the distance, they are much complicated to built, unless in China like they are destined to not to stand over 30 years. You must learn that dark secret of fast China construction from cheap and not too strong materials. It is a Soviet type too, after 30 years of life span most of constructed buildings there are not safe even to stay inside. We building in America for at least twice longer life span, for 70 years as minimum, in Soviet Union, best construction designed for 40-50 years, but in China many buildings are not survived just after 20 years, especially new residential flats. That’s why many investors doesn’t wanted buy their properties in China, unless they are insured it for more money than they paid. Technically and we have a highest Safety Standards here in North America, than in everywhere, but this corresponds for longer construction and many delays, stop work orders, if something going out of safety standards. Believe many our construction mishaps will be went without any news in China or Russia. 3″ off center leaning towers, are sure to be normal for thousands(!!!) new buildings in those highly socialist totalitarian countries.
      Many of them are built by the friends of government officials, who may cover up them if something happened.
      Yes we building here in America using much more time, as long as 3-4 times, but we have a Highest Safety Standards, that’s why we spent more time for building foundation work, than to the rest of construction, that’s why we spent more time for finishing construction, than for just frame it up. We use a stronger concrete, non ignited woods, reinforced special steel, and it’s no wonder that many of our buildings long outlive their lifespan and still being structurally sound for over the century!!!

    • I Think it is also due to a deceptively complicated top on such a tall and thin building, there are mass dampers that have to be incorporated and the final crown is a metal frame..for my money this is the most beautiful of all the supertalls

      • David in Bushwick | April 22, 2019 at 9:46 pm | Reply

        I walked around it last week and viewed it from Central Park. I wanted to like it but it’s just ridiculously slender, more like a square flag pole. Billionaire’s Row may not be so impressive in the coming years as it represents the worst of our economic policies.

  3. (!!! W 57th I”M talking about)…53 W 53 is great also, but not quite in the same league

  4. TRUMP

  5. David: It are toothsome on headway. (Correct it for me)
    Corrected: This triple peak configuration is delicious. It looks like three assorted godiva chocolates with cream filling ready for you to sink teeth into.

  6. elliot reisman | April 27, 2019 at 4:10 pm | Reply

    Just a thought,why would people with lots of money want to live in a city that is in a state of collapse ? the infrastructure is beyond repair , the subway cant compare to any great city anyplace in the world for it’s rundown condition. The roads are almost impassible today.The city was laid out for horses and carriages, not autos that park on the streets., the sidewalks are over crowded 24,7 What the architects haven’t done is to provide heliports on the new buildings for speedy transportation.

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