The Midtown supertall boom may be focused on 57th Street, but a few blocks to the south, the tower that started the frenzy is finally reaching into the skyline. 53 West 53rd Street, formerly known as Torre Verre and rising adjacent to the Museum of Modern Art, is now well over halfway to its eventual 1,050-foot pinnacle. The photos were posted by Streetscaper to the YIMBY Forums.
One of New York City’s newest crop of supertalls will soon sprout above its neighbors. YIMBY recently stopped by 53W53, where curtain wall installation recently began.
After a decade of waiting, Jean Nouvel’s 53 West 53rd Street, formerly known as the Torre Verre and now known as 53W53, is finally climbing into the New York City skyline. And while the tower only stands about a dozen floors at the moment — up from only a handful when YIMBY last checked in on the site this past June — installation of its iconic cladding and glass has already begun, with the latest update thanks to YIMBY Forumer streetscaper.
Most buildings try to hide their skeletons behind masonry or some other opaque element. At 53W53, however, showing the bones off is a design feature. Thanks to some photos taken by our friend Tectonic, we can now see some of the exoskeleton at the Jean Nouvel-designed tower. The overall structure has now risen about four stories above ground.
It was in September of 2015 that YIMBY last brought you a construction update on the 82-story, 139-unit supertall residential tower underway at 53 West 53rd Street, in Midtown. At the time, foundation work was well underway at the site, and now the structure is up two stories above street level, as seen in photos by Tectonic (h/t Curbed). The luxury tower, dubbed 53W53, is being designed by Ateliers Jean Nouvel. Thierry Despont is designing the interiors of the residential units. The apartments will come in one- to six-bedroom configurations, and the largest listing is currently a seven-bedroom penthouse. Amenities include a pool, a library, a wine vault, a fitness center, and a lounge. The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) will also be located on the bottom floors of the building. Hines and Pontiac Land Group are the developers, and completion is expected in 2017.
