I guess the old neighborhood’s changing…Danish architectural design firm Bjarke Ingels Group and developer Durst Fetner Residential have a vision – build a 450 ft. tall, 600 unit tower with a unique silhouette that will stand apart from the boxy, glass-covered edifices of Manhattan’s Westside.  (Note: I used to park may Subaru across the street from the W57 development’s building site between 11th and 12th Avenues.)

The ambitious sail-shaped structure, simply named W57, which is a hybrid architectural form – European design married to Manhattan high-rise residential comfort and features – will seek LEED Gold Certification.

By keeping three corners of the block low and lifting the north-east corner up towards its 467 foot peak, the courtyard opens views towards the Hudson River, bringing low western sun deep into the block while graciously (hmmm…) preserving the adjacent Helena Tower’s views of the river. The building’s form shifts depending on the viewer’s vantage point. While appearing like an angular pyramid from the West-Side Highway, it appears as a slender spire from West 58th Street.

The courtyard is inspired by a classic Copenhagen urban oasis and serves to extend the adjacent greenery of the Hudson River Park into the West 57th development (please ignore the Sanitation Depatment’s dock just west on the Hudson).

The slope of the building allows for a transition in scale between the low-rise structures to the south (my garage) and the high-rise residential towers to the north (Trump City), east and west of the site. The visually compelling sloping roof of the building consists of a simple ruled surface perforated by terraces – each one unique and south-facing.

Every apartment gets either a bay window or balcony to amplify the benefits of the generous views.

source: bjarke ingels group