Excavation is underway for the new Rolex US headquarters, a 28-story commercial building at 665 Fifth Avenue in Midtown. Designed by David Chipperfield Architects and developed by the Rolex Realty Company, the 419-foot-tall structure will yield 199,000 square feet of office and retail space for the world-famous watchmaker. Pavarini McGovern is the general contractor for the project, which is located at the corner of Fifth Avenue and East 53rd Street.
Demolition concluded on the company’s former 12-story International Style home since our last update in November, when around eight floors of the superstructure were still standing. Recent photos show an excavator and piling machine at work on the site, with a portion of the southeast corner already unearthed and a row of steel pilings driven in place along the western edge. Some remnants of the old foundations remain, but will soon be removed to make way for the new subterranean base. Excavation should progress throughout the spring and construction could reach street level in the latter half of 2023.
665 Fifth Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
665 Fifth Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
665 Fifth Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
665 Fifth Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
665 Fifth Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
665 Fifth Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
665 Fifth Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
665 Fifth Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
665 Fifth Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
665 Fifth Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
665 Fifth Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
665 Fifth Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
Renderings show the new building composed of a staggered stack of cubic volumes clad in a jagged façade of pleated glass paneling. Four setbacks will be topped with terraces that provide tenants with sweeping views of the surrounding neighborhood.
The below rendering previews the base of the tower with its wood-paneled retail frontage and triple-height atrium above. The store will occupy 43,000 square feet on levels one through four. The office entrance is positioned on the southern end of the property with a pair of escalators leading to the atrium.
Rendering by David Chipperfield Architects
The following diagram details the breakdown of the updated taller design, noting the height of the setbacks and program distribution. Offices take up floors five through 25, while levels 27 and 28 will house a double-height private dining and event space and an outdoor terrace along the northern side of the building. Mechanical levels surround these two upper levels. A small rendering of the new iteration is shown on the left side of the image. Upon close inspection, the double-height space on the upper two floors appears to have a large spherical sculpture suspended from the ceiling.
665 Fifth Avenue. Designed by David Chipperfield Architects.
665 Fifth Avenue has an anticipated completion date of December 2025.
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Since Rolex don’t actually sell watches to members of the public anymore, I fail to see the point.
They DO sell Rolex watches to the public. I was inside there last summer.
Huh? What does that even mean?
Excuse me but who said Rolex doesn’t sell watches to the public? There’s a place on Madison Avenue that sells them to the public on 53rd
Quick Google search reveals Rolex watches for sale at Walmart.com—literally available to members of the general public!
Also, never saw General Public (RIP—Rankin Roger), but I have seen The Beat! If they’re coming to your town, do yourself a favor and go see Dave Wakeling!
Where is the tenderness?
Did they paint the sides of the adjacent buildings floor-by-floor during demolition? They look unusually spiffy.
Looks like they did, but they forgot to use black paint on the windows?! 🤣
But what’s the point of painting it if it’s going to be covered up in the future?
My best guess is its more than just a cosmetic paint job – which would solicit the obvious “what’s the point?” – but instead likely a waterproofing/penetrating sealer kind of paint mandated by the neighboring property owners to insure against moisture incursion during and after cobstruction of the new tower.
That makes total sense and thanks NFA!
Love everything about this design.
You are my hero for investing in Nyc.
I heard they’re building a Folex Tower on Canal Street for a third of the price.
🥁🎯
*Orson Welles clapping*
More like a tenth…or a twentieth.
They should have a big clock at the top.
Thought the same. A large diameter clock on the base woukd also look cool.
That’s a brilliant idea. Get in touch with them and push it!
I’d like to see them turn the top five floors into full floor residences with all the plumbing and electrical done,then hand the spaces over to the buyer. Give the buyers $500k each, to help in the design of the space.
I love how this evokes the mid century style of the old building but with a sleeker modern approach. This will be a nice addition to Fifth Avenue and look distinct with this facade design 👍
I like a large spherical sculpture suspended from the ceiling, and yellow chain I feel on it bans visitor to approach. It is quite beautiful and has a clear personal space, so globe-shaped is a signature to power the tower from highest to lowest views: Thanks to Michael Young.
Do people still wear watches?!