Exterior work is nearing completion on the renovation of 1100 Avenue of the Americas, a 15-story commercial building at the corner of West 42nd Street and Sixth Avenue in Midtown. Alternatively addressed as Two Bryant Park, the project is developed by Brookfield Properties and involves the refurbishment of the structure’s 386,190 square feet of floor space and a new modern curtain wall designed by MdeAS Architects. AECOM Tishman is the general contractor for the project.
Since our last update in April, the remaining glass panels have been installed and work has concluded at the roof level.
Two Bryant Park. Photo by Michael Young
Two Bryant Park. Photo by Michael Young
Two Bryant Park. Photo by Michael Young
Two Bryant Park. Photo by Michael Young
Two Bryant Park. Photo by Michael Young
Looking at Two Bryant Park from different angles reveals the reflectivity of the glass and how it mirrors the surrounding structures. In addition to the floor-to-ceiling glass, there are several sections of opaque grey panels against the side of the Grace Building to the east and around the mechanical extensions above the flat roof parapet.
Two Bryant Park. Photo by Michael Young
Two Bryant Park. Photo by Michael Young
Even in the shadow, the envelope still appears lightweight and done with clean and sleek lines.
Two Bryant Park. Photo by Michael Young
Also installed since our last update is signage for Two Bryant Park above the main entrance on the wide southern elevation. It’s only a matter of time before the wraparound sidewalk scaffolding gets taken down and we can finally see what the entire ground level will look like.
Two Bryant Park. Photo by Michael Young
Two Bryant Park. Photo by Michael Young
Inside Two Bryant Park are rectangular floor plates measuring around 25,000 square feet that will be capable of providing flexible layouts. Sitting at the top of the building will be an outdoor rooftop terrace that overlooks Bryant Park with views of the Empire State Building and vistas looking north toward Central Park. There are also panoramic views looking east and west along 42nd Street.
The renderings below are seen on Brookfield Properties’ website and depict the northern plaza with new benches, trees, and planters by the corner of Sixth Avenue and West 43rd Street. The retail frontage is framed by metal elements that contrast with the uniform glass fenestration above.
Two Bryant Park northern plaza. Rendering seen on Brookfield Properties’ website
Two Bryant Park northern plaza. Rendering seen on Brookfield Properties’ website
Completion of Two Bryant Park is estimated to occur sometime before the end of the year.
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That doesn’t look anything like the renderings.
And it could be more simple and dull.
Did you mean “couldn’t” ?
Yes
I disagree with David but note that the glass, as rendered, has less reflectivity…..a city of glass boxes could and would be simple and dull…..but this design should be evaluated on the quality of the detailing and materials as glass boxes are that: and this one appears to be elegantly detailed. It’s a far better glass box than many buildings and that’s how it should be judged. No, it doesn’t jiggle like so many new buildings or have three different kinds of facade treatment, but, that’s ok.
This is a huge improvement over the last cladding on this building, especially on the north side. Brookfield Properties must have reached an agreement with the owners of the Grace building to open their building up to the plaza instead of the blank wall that used to be there. That will actually be a nice space now, instead of the dead canyon it was before.
Agree on all your points above, most notably how much nicer the northern plaza will be now that it isn’t facing a wall. This project is a huge improvement over the HBO Building. I think I read somewhere that Bank of America leased the whole thing.
This was a longstanding disagreement between the owners of 1100 and the owners of the Grace Building (1114). The original proposal for the Monsanto Building, as it was to be called, was for it to be built facing Sixth and encompass both the L-shaped Stern’s department store site and the corner site occupied by the Nickerson Building (1100). Nickerson refused to sell, and the Swig Company had to build it facing 42nd Street with an awkward plaza on the corner of 43rd and Sixth with an empty wall along the property line. While the plaza renovations that took place 30+ years ago improved it tremendously–the owners first attempted to gate it off from the public, a violation of the zoning that provided the developers with a larger space in return for building a bonus plaza for the public. Nickerson refused over the intervening years efforts to redevelop the side of his building abutting Grace Plaza during the first gut rehabilitation in the 80s that resulted in the HBO Building. Now that Nickerson has net-leased his building to Brookfield, which also now owns the Grace Building, connecting the plaza to the 1100 makes sense.
Marc- thanks for the backstory info.