Tadao Ando, Hon. FAIA, revealed the exterior designs for his Manhattan apartment building. Known for his thoughtful use of concrete and glass, this seven-story development is no exception. The façade comprises ample sections of floor-to-ceiling windows, flanked in galvanized steel and the Japanese architect's signature use of poured concrete. One of the most striking features is the entrance hall, which has a water wall, with the fluid movements emphasized by grooved wall panels and natural light seeping through carved slits that cast an animation on the concrete surfaces.
Located in New York’s Nolita neighborhood on the corner of Kenmare and Elizabeth Street, this new site is located in an area with a growing residential market—which currently consists of approximately 5,500 people over a 16-block area.
Dubbed 152 Elizabeth Street, it will house seven ultra-luxury condominiums within the 32,000-square-foot building. Minimalist architects Michael Gabellini, FAIA, and Kimberly Sheppard, AIA, of New York–based firm Gabellini Sheppard Asscociates, will design the interiors, and serve as the Architect of Record. To warm up the inside and offset the potential coldness of the exterior concrete walls, the designers will take advantage of the windows and capitalize on the use of light. Emphasizing the expansive views and sense of openness, the residences will have very few walls and doors. Gabellini Sheppard Associates’ past work includes re-designing The Rainbow Room, and collaborations with hotelier Ian Schrager for their Istanbul and Chicago locations.
The southern façade will also feature a living green wall. Designed in collaboration with New York–based landscape architecture firm M. Paul Friedberg and Partners, it is cited to be one of the largest in New York City. Spanning the entirety of the wall, it will measure at 55 feet in height and 99 feet in width, and include plant species such as English Ivy, Boston Ivy, Virginia Creepers, Jasmine Clematis, and climbing Hydrangeas for a variety of color and textures.
