Exterior work is nearing completion on the Mandarin Oriental Residences Fifth Avenue, a 29-story residential tower at 685 Fifth Avenue in Midtown. Designed by Marin Architects and developed by SHVO in partnership with Deutsche Finance, the more than $300 million project involves the construction of a ten-floor addition above a former commercial building and the residential conversion of 100,000 square feet of its office space, and will yield 69 fully furnished condominium units managed by Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group and marketed by Douglas Elliman Development Marketing. The Rinaldi Group of New York is the general contractor for the property, which is located between East 53rd and 54th Streets.
At the time of our last update in July, the entire structure stood covered in scaffolding and black netting. This has since been removed from the upper expansion, revealing its warm-hued brick façade and grid of recessed windows with Juliet balconies. The massing incorporates numerous stepped setbacks and cutaways for private terraces, which are lined with glass railings. Scaffolding with banners advertising the property still cover the former office volume below, with a distinctive suspended arrangement that allows for the retail frontage to remain in operation largely unobstructed.
685 Fifth Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
685 Fifth Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
685 Fifth Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
685 Fifth Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
685 Fifth Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
685 Fifth Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
685 Fifth Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
685 Fifth Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
685 Fifth Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
685 Fifth Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
685 Fifth Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
685 Fifth Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
685 Fifth Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
685 Fifth Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
685 Fifth Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
685 Fifth Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
The below photos showcase the rear eastern elevation and the soaring cantilever on its southern corner. The construction elevator was attached to the northern side of this end of the building at the time of our last update but has since been disassembled.
685 Fifth Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
685 Fifth Avenue. Photo by Michael Young
685 Fifth Avenue is Mandarin Oriental’s first residential-only property on the East Coast. Homes begin on the sixth floor and range in price from $2.5 million for junior suites to $15 million for two-bedroom layouts. The developers are expecting a sellout of $343 million.
Residences feature bespoke interiors with full-height French doors leading onto a Juliette balcony, European five-inch wide oak chevron flooring with bronze inlays and cove ceilings, Crestron automation systems and lighting by Tilotson Design Associates, custom closet systems by Molteni, Miele washers and dryers, polished graffiti marble countertops with bronze mirror backsplashes, and Molteni kitchens with 22-karat galvanized champagne gold Dornbracht fixtures and fully integrated Miele appliances. Bathrooms have radiant heated French Vanilla honed marble flooring with MOMA Design undermounted sinks and soaking tubs, Salvatori Cream d’orcin limestone steam showers, and custom vanity and cabinetry by Ellevi. The homes also come with accessories such as Mandarin Oriental-branded toothbrushes, home essentials by Georg Jensen and Wedgwood, Frette linens on Mandarin Oriental mattresses, Aqua di Parma beauty products, Dyson hair dryers, and Mason Pearson hairbrushes.
Amenities include Boulud Prive, a private restaurant and bar run by Michelin-starred Chef Daniel Boulud that will be accessible to occupants of both the New York and Beverly Hills properties with optional room service, as well as an outdoor rooftop swimming pool with views of Central Park, a spa, a fitness center and lounge area on the 25th floor, a concierge, housekeeping service, personal training, dog walking, and personal shopping.
Construction on the Mandarin Oriental Residences Fifth Avenue should be fully completed later this year. The sales gallery is located on the 18th floor of 745 Fifth Avenue and is available by appointment only.
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A bit of a mishmash..
My experience with new construction in NYC is that it is not “finished” until well after the developer says so. They are just trying to make sales and get a TCO.
Whether this is going to look bad when seen with the historic base is an open question. Why do some of those elements look like glued on styrofoam?
There’s a building coming to complete on the best form for different types of material, especially beautiful brick facade in which views are shown before it is finished. I’m believing in its amenities, that developers are reponsible for it with intention after progress policy possible to stay: Thanks to Michael Young.
Looks like a hospital.
Not very elegant.
My design instincts tell me that a glass addition that just sort of disappeared would have been the better move.
Very unsubtle upper massing. You can’t do better than this in a totally top-flight location? If anywhere, Fifth Avenue should be where architects can create significant buildings, while (of course) working within the constraints of cost and the high density necessary to make a profit.
If I were to purchase one of these luxury “toothbrush included? 🤣”, condos, I would get one in the lower floors, as opposed to the “growth” above! It looks a bad relationship!
I’m so grateful during my first visit to NYC in August 2017, most of Fifth Avenue wasn’t covered in construction scaffolding, and I could actually SEE the buildings!
I’m hoping it will be that way on my next visit… or I will make sure to pack my construction helmet! 👷 🤣
Overall, I’ve been a fan of this design from the beginning. That huge cantilevered chunk on the top, however, looks like they just slapped it on there without too much thought to the design. “Just get that square-footage”, says the developer. It’s really not attractive.
The apartment plans are decent – thoughtfully laid out. It’s too bad that there was not more time/focus/expense to more seamlessly blend the tower to the base, and the building to the ground as it hovers over the stores. It’s not great architecture. It’s not a great precedent of how to add to an existing (decent) building.
At lease the new addition is set back a bit. But that thick extended roof at the top is a bit heavy looking. Overall I give the design a C+
Marin Architects is better known for designing subsidized housing in the Bronx. Peculiar choice for such a posh project. Maybe RAMSA was booked up?
Why all the ins and outs at the top? Not elegant.
The commission for this should have gone to RAMSA. Speaking of which, how much better would the city look if all luxury developments were designed by RAMSA?
Oh, Lord, won’t You buy me a Mercedes-Benz…?
What an eyesight…