New York by Gehry Opens to Tenants in Lower Manhattan
A standard inclusion on every architect’s checklist is the ground-up design of a bonafide skyscraper. Surprisingly, Frank Gehry checks his off only this year with the completion of the 870-foot New York by Gehry. The delay of this particular accomplishment, however, becomes somewhat more coherent when one begins to count the superlatives attached to the 76-story residential tower—the Western Hemisphere’s tallest—and mixed-use development on Spruce Street in lower Manhattan.
The architect’s signature ripples come courtesy of stainless-steel curtain wall cladding the exterior. Those undulations, the influence of which the architect attributes to Gianlorenzo Bernini and the engineering of which were determined by a software platform developed by Gehry Technologies called Digital Project, affect the interior scheme as bulges on the façade allow for a multitude of Gaudi-like interior window bays. The lack of uniformity has allowed for some 200 unique floor plans from which tenants may choose. Currently, 18 studio, one- and two-bedroom rental models are on view to the public. White oak flooring and custom Douglas Fir woodwork grace the lobby.The building is surrounded by 15,000 square feet of public plaza landscaped by Field Operations and Dutch horticulturistPiet Oudolf, the team responsible for the creative reuse and design of New York’s defunct High Line train rail. A 100,000-square-foot public primary school with a rooftop play area will occupy the building’s first five floors. Formerly used as a parking lot by New York Downtown Hospital, which sold the site for development, the building also features offices and ambulatory-care facilities for professionals affiliated with the hospital. Car commuters needn’t worry, however: 26,000 square feet of below-grade garage is available for 175 hospital vehicles.
The 22,000 square feet of residential amenities include fitness and spa facilities and entertainment spaces, including a terrace for outdoor grilling, a library, children’s playrooms, and screening and game rooms with custom seating. A skylighted swimming pool is enclosed by retracting glass doors that open onto a wraparound sundeck. Penthouse tenants, depending on direction, will be able to enjoy views of the Hudson River’s piers and parks, all five East River bridges, the Empire State and Chrysler buildings, all the way to a northern horizon including Central Park and the George Washington Bridge.
