Details of the buildings form, function, and intent are described quite elegantly in a recent Dezeen article,
http://www.dezeen.com/2008/09/14/56-leonard-street-by-herzog-de-meuron/
Although I have already stumbled across a few critics of this design, HdM are sure to set skyscraper history with the tower's innovative design.
Ok, I do have to admit, from this vantage point, the building takes on the appearance of what could be described as a giant bundle of scaffolding. Perhaps not the refined elegance HdM pride themselves on.
However, as one delves deeper into the design, the seemingly haphazard stacking of form unfolds to reveal an intricate and complex weaving of architectural solid and void. The architects embrace the simple desire to give each residence a unique floor plan and private outdoor space, multiply that concept by 145, and equate a 57 story residential condominium which HdM describe as "houses stacked in the sky".
With this bold design, HdM are set to redefine the iconic American skyscraper. Through an artful stacking of form, possibly best described as the largest scale Jenga ever created, the image of a skyscraper as a hermetically sealed, impenetrable object has been shattered into literally 145 individual and unique homes, open and exposed to the city around them.
Articulated surfaces, dramatic cantilevers, profiled slab edges, profusion of balconies, expanses of glass, and views from downtown Manhattan to as far as the Atlantic Ocean.......oh my! I for one cannot stop ogling this fascinating design. Perhaps I am a bit biased due to my somewhat inexplicable fascination with multi-family living. I did just finish a master's thesis dealing with the issue of preserving the qualities of single family living in a multi-family environment. I too devised a system of stacking and twisting forms, only to soon become exasperated and overwhelmed by this daunting task. Of course, HdM immediately comes along and beautifully articulates this thought in massive scale, right in the heart of Manhattan! Perhaps it is time to admit a feeling I have had for awhile, Herzog de Meuron are much more worthy than I.
Alas, all that is left for us Chicagoans to do now is admire these photographs, and grow continually jealous of the rich and famous New Yorkers who will someday inhabit this gem. I for one have decided to immediatly start saving my pennies in hopes to one day reach the $3.5 million to $33 million price tag on the condos, which range in size from 1,430 square feet to 6,380 square feet, and will include two- to five-bedroom residences and 10 penthouses.
I did gain a small fracture in my "New Yorkers have it all" rant, when I came across this familiar image.
That's right Chicagoans, artist Anish Kapoor has created a younger brother for our beloved bean. The sculpture will make its home at a prominent corner on the lot, drawing public crowds in a further attempt to integrate the building with the public community. It will be the artists first permanent public work in New York City.
I encourage you to check out the Dezeen article mentioned above for futher details of the design. I, however, will leave you with this thought from Jacques Herzog, referring to artist Andy Warhol, “He used common Pop images to say something new. That is exactly what we are interested in: to use well known forms and materials in a new way so that they become alive again.”
From a firm that has achieved just that thought through recent works like the Beijing bird's nest, the San Francisco de Young museum, and London's Tate Modern, HdM have now set the stage for urban centers around the world, providing the fuel and innovation needed to enter a new era of design.
Ok, I do have to admit, from this vantage point, the building takes on the appearance of what could be described as a giant bundle of scaffolding. Perhaps not the refined elegance HdM pride themselves on.
However, as one delves deeper into the design, the seemingly haphazard stacking of form unfolds to reveal an intricate and complex weaving of architectural solid and void. The architects embrace the simple desire to give each residence a unique floor plan and private outdoor space, multiply that concept by 145, and equate a 57 story residential condominium which HdM describe as "houses stacked in the sky".
With this bold design, HdM are set to redefine the iconic American skyscraper. Through an artful stacking of form, possibly best described as the largest scale Jenga ever created, the image of a skyscraper as a hermetically sealed, impenetrable object has been shattered into literally 145 individual and unique homes, open and exposed to the city around them.
Articulated surfaces, dramatic cantilevers, profiled slab edges, profusion of balconies, expanses of glass, and views from downtown Manhattan to as far as the Atlantic Ocean.......oh my! I for one cannot stop ogling this fascinating design. Perhaps I am a bit biased due to my somewhat inexplicable fascination with multi-family living. I did just finish a master's thesis dealing with the issue of preserving the qualities of single family living in a multi-family environment. I too devised a system of stacking and twisting forms, only to soon become exasperated and overwhelmed by this daunting task. Of course, HdM immediately comes along and beautifully articulates this thought in massive scale, right in the heart of Manhattan! Perhaps it is time to admit a feeling I have had for awhile, Herzog de Meuron are much more worthy than I.
Alas, all that is left for us Chicagoans to do now is admire these photographs, and grow continually jealous of the rich and famous New Yorkers who will someday inhabit this gem. I for one have decided to immediatly start saving my pennies in hopes to one day reach the $3.5 million to $33 million price tag on the condos, which range in size from 1,430 square feet to 6,380 square feet, and will include two- to five-bedroom residences and 10 penthouses.
I did gain a small fracture in my "New Yorkers have it all" rant, when I came across this familiar image.
That's right Chicagoans, artist Anish Kapoor has created a younger brother for our beloved bean. The sculpture will make its home at a prominent corner on the lot, drawing public crowds in a further attempt to integrate the building with the public community. It will be the artists first permanent public work in New York City.
I encourage you to check out the Dezeen article mentioned above for futher details of the design. I, however, will leave you with this thought from Jacques Herzog, referring to artist Andy Warhol, “He used common Pop images to say something new. That is exactly what we are interested in: to use well known forms and materials in a new way so that they become alive again.”
From a firm that has achieved just that thought through recent works like the Beijing bird's nest, the San Francisco de Young museum, and London's Tate Modern, HdM have now set the stage for urban centers around the world, providing the fuel and innovation needed to enter a new era of design.
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