Archinect - News

Demolition work for Lower Manhattan's superjail is making Chinatown residents 'terrified'

2024-04-09T15:16:00-04:00

The demolition of ‘The Tombs’ Manhattan Detention Complex to prepare for the 300-foot ‘Jailscraper’ (aka the ‘Chinatown Jail’) in Lower Manhattan is meting out further headaches for residents around the Columbus Park area, the majority of whom are elderly, ABC7 reported recently.

Cracks and other noticeable damage are now beginning to appear in adjacent structures as the 900-bed behemoth is being taken down in advance of the construction of a controversial new facility that is promoted as being more ‘humane’ than its predecessor and the city’s Rikers Island facility — despite activists’ criticisms.

"We absolutely do not trust Gramercy Group with anything anymore," a member of the group Neighbors United Below Canal told journalists. "They violated the trust of this community. They violated the trust of the building next door. They've cracked their building. There's water seeping into this building as we speak."

In response, Councilmember Christopher Marte has asked the city's Buildin...

Rafael Viñoly Architects resumes construction on renamed 125 Greenwich Street condo tower in Manhattan

2023-11-08T17:36:00-05:00

Construction is in full swing again on a Rafael Viñoly Architects-designed 88-story 125 Greenwich Street Manhattan residential project after resuming earlier this year following a four-year pause.

The news comes as the blog New York YIMBY reports scenes of added glass curtain panels and other facade elements amidst renewed construction at or near the crown of the 912-foot tower. The firm followed with an announcement this week stating the project will now be completed in 2024 and under the new monicker The Greenwich by Rafael Viñoly, honoring the legacy of their late founder, who passed away in March at the age of 78.

The restart was expected after February's announcement that developers had finally secured the $313 million needed to complete the project after it topped out in March of 2019.

Photo: Evan Joseph (provided)

Once complete, the parallelogram-shaped design will showcase his storied facility with structural engineering and what his son Román Viñoly describes in a press rel...

CetraRuddy to design landmark office-to-residential conversion at 55 Broad Street in Manhattan

2023-08-07T11:24:00-04:00

A bellwether overhaul of the aging Emery Roth & Sons-designed 55 Broad Street office tower in Lower Manhattan will be undertaken by CetraRuddy in what is billed as one of the New York market’s largest office-to-residential conversion projects in recent memory.

The project for developers Silverstein Properties and Metro Loft Management will commence early next month and culminate in a reimagined 410,000-square-foot structure replete with 571 new apartment units, a private club, 45-foot-long rooftop pool feature, and other amenities.

Rendering courtesy Silverstein Properties

The firm’s founding partner and CEO John Cetra explained of their forthcoming design: “We took advantage of 55 Broad’s unique form with setbacks which enabled us to design a variety of apartment sizes and types ranging from efficient units to loft-like layouts with generous terraces. In converting the building from commercial to residential use, we recaptured floor area that was then used to add additional square ...

New York Gov. Hochul announces affordable housing plans for KPF's 5 World Trade Center

2023-08-02T14:07:00-04:00

Progress on the 5 World Trade Center (5WTC) project by KPF moves forward after a press conference announcement on July 27 from New York Governor Kathy Hochul. In an effort to build more affordable housing in Lower Manhattan, the news reported by The Real Deal states that the mixed-use skyscraper will also include 1,200 rentals "with one-third designated for low-to-moderate-income within the World Trade Center redevelopment."

In January 2022, Archinect reported on the project and its online petition for creating affordable housing options for 5 World Trade Center. Led by the New York Review of Architecture and Citygroup, the petition called for a "75% increase in the number of affordable units in the 900-foot 5 World Trade Center. The document, titled 100% Affordable, pressed developers to do away with the current plan, which designates 300 of the development’s 1,200 rental units for tenants earning less than 50 percent of the median income, in favor of a more progressive scheme tha...

Adjaye Associates' 130 William debuts in Lower Manhattan

2023-06-30T19:15:00-04:00

David Adjaye’s statement-making first skyscraper design for the New York City market has debuted in Lower Manhattan, marking the culmination of a project that will stand as a testament to his attention to historical context and the elevation of craft in architecture.

The design for the 66-story 130 William residential tower in the heart of the Financial District includes a total of 242 units whose careful, well-appointed interiors are complemented by another 20,000 square feet of ground-floor retail and curated amenities apiece.

Image © Ivane Katamashvili

Photos of the newly-completed project reveal a range of built-in luxury options, including a small IMAX theater, two lounges, a golf simulator, basketball court, full-scale health club, infinity-edge spa pool, dry sauna, and yoga studio. The ten uppermost floors of the building are lined by loggia terraces, with a rooftop observation deck located on top that offers residents privileged views of the city’s skyline and harbor beyond....

New York City is actually sinking under the weight of its skyscrapers

2023-05-22T13:57:00-04:00

New York City is sinking under the weight of its skyscrapers, new research shows, which could put its population of more than 8 million people at an increased risk of coastal flooding. [...] Researchers estimated the weight of all of New York City’s buildings to be around 842 million tons. But to find the areas more vulnerable to sinking — or, as they call it in more scientific terms, “subsidence” — a key factor to consider was the type of soil beneath the buildings.

A new study authored by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) found the city to be sinking at a rate of between 1 to 2 millimeters per year, while parts of Lower Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island are subsiding at a rate of 2.75 millimeters. This comes at a time when planning officials, architects, and building owners are scrambling to adapt to the shrinking office market accelerated by the pandemic.

The increased flood risk, enhanced by construction densification, is particularly dangerous to coastal cities whose clay-rich soil causes “material softness and ability to flow under pressure,” according to the study.

The Real Deal gets straight with Manhattan’s 'Leaning Tower of FiDi'

2023-03-13T11:43:00-04:00

You’ve heard of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, but did you know New York has its very own leaning tower? Manhattan’s “Leaning Tower of FiDi,” developed by Fortis Property Group, has this dubious distinction: It is tilting by three inches to the north, and has been beset by numerous construction delays, disputes with lenders and more. How did this engineering blunder ever come to pass?

One Seaport (aka “161 Maiden Lane”) is now the subject of a contentious lawsuit between Fortis and the project’s construction engineer Pizzarotti. Pizzarotti claims the developers are at fault owing to shoddy preparatory work on its foundation, which left the tower at risk for catastrophic failures for portions of its facade, structural concrete, and even elevators.

Construction has since stalled out as various solutions are proffered. If it is ever actually completed, its 80 luxury units could be filled with tenants lured by yacht rental offers. A rather high-end incentive for the wealthy in a city where their opposites face their own daily risks caused by different forms of structural neglect and incompetence.

Gensler’s Jackie Robinson Museum project finally debuts after a 14-year saga

2022-08-05T15:57:00-04:00

Last week was opening day for the new Gensler-designed Jackie Robinson Museum in Lower Manhattan. Luminaries, including Spike Lee and Mayor Eric Adams were on hand to inaugurate the museum, which was first announced by Major League Baseball and the Jackie Robinson Foundation to observe the 61st anniversary of his Dodgers debut in 2008.

Occupying a space on Varick Street that is now landmarked by the city, the 20,000-square-foot museum focuses as much on Robinson’s multisport athletic career and rise to baseball’s pinnacle as it does on his progressive social activism and lifelong fight against racism.

Years of delays meant the project has been put off its intended 2019 opening until this year.

Having opened its doors last Friday, the Jackie Robinson Museum seeks to bring people from all walks together to commune and appreciate each other’s humanity and diverse experiences. Enjoy a glimpse of the ribbon cutting ceremony led by Emmy Award winner @RobinRoberts pic.twitter.com/QyNcQVhW...

Battery Park City gears up for major transformation that will make it more resilient to sea level rise

2022-07-28T13:00:00-04:00

New York’s Battery Park City will soon undergo a series of major resiliency projects that will completely transform the Lower Manhattan coast as the threats of storm surge and sea level rise loom.

Starting in September, after Labor Day, the first phase of the multibillion-dollar Lower Manhattan Coastal Resiliency (LMCR) Project, led by Battery Park City Authority, is set to break ground. Called the South Battery Park City Resiliency Project (SBPCR), the endeavor will see the creation of a continuous flood barrier from the Museum of Jewish Heritage, through Wagner Park, across Pier A Plaza, and along the northern border of the Historic Battery to an elevated point near Bowling Green Plaza.

South Battery Park City Resiliency Project, site plan. Image: Battery Park City Authority

The project is expected to last two years and, when complete, will feature expansive lawns and gardens; education, community, dining, and programming spaces; public restrooms; and universal access. The projec...

New York's Museum of Chinese in America reveals renderings of its Maya Lin-led revamp

2022-04-07T14:35:00-04:00

An important part of New York’s rich cultural fabric is coming into closer view after the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) revealed renderings for its new Maya Lin-designed permanent headquarters at 215 Centre Street in Manhattan.

The project will entail the expansion of its existing building into a 68,000-square-foot museum with classrooms, a research and genealogy center, theater, and exhibition spaces from Ralph Appelbaum Associates that will host up to 300,000 visitors a year.

In spite of some recent local opposition, Lin said she wants the museum to serve as an inspirational resource at a time when the community has seen an increase in the kinds of hateful acts that she personally reports to have experienced throughout her life.

Her de...

Activists in NYC call for affordable alternatives to KPF's 5 WTC

2022-01-24T18:04:00-05:00

The fight for affordable housing in New York City has come to one of Lower Manhattan’s most important developments in recent memory.

An online petition organized by the New York Review of Architecture and Citygroup has been circulating that appears to call for a 75% increase in the number of affordable units in the 900-foot 5 World Trade Center. The document, titled 100% Affordable, pressed developers to do away with the current plan, which designates 300 of the development’s 1,200 rental units for tenants earning less than 50 percent of the median income, in favor of a more progressive scheme that would prioritize 9/11 survivors and frontline workers in an alternative to the recently-approved KPF design.

“This is not an abstract, pie-in-the-sky call for ideas,” the group’s statement reads. “This call is structured around the actual approval process for the tower. The developers backing the current proposal claim that this degree of affordability is untenable given the enormous con...

Buro Happold unveils sustainability plan for Battery Park City

2020-09-08T17:02:00-04:00

Buro Happold and the Battery Park City Authority have published a 10-year sustainability plan that aims to achieve carbon neutrality for the 36-acre district situated on the southern tip of Manhattan by 2050.

The district, which sits just beside the World Trade Center site, contains over 22 million square feet of built area, according to Buro Happold's report, and its new plan is considered among the largest such district visions in the country.

The plan aims to articulate a "holistic vision" for drawing down operating emissions from buildings in the area through a mix of approaches that includes deep energy retrofits, building electrification conversions, low-carbon district energy systems, implementation of renewable energy supply and storage advances, and extensive monitoring of greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, the plan would implement wastewater treatment and recycling strategies, including for storm water runoff, greater supervision of construction waste streams, and va...

Supertall towers in Lower Manhattan beat back legal challenge

2020-08-28T13:01:00-04:00

A group of contested supertall residential towers designed a collection of architecture firms, including SHoP Architects, Handel, and Perkins Eastman for sites in the Two Bridges neighborhood of Manhattan will be allowed to proceed as initially approved following a legal victory over challenges to the project by municipal authorities.

A recent ruling from the New York State Supreme Court found that approvals for the project were "rationally based in the record and not contrary to law," despite claims from Manhattan Borough president Gale A. Brewer and the New York City Council to the contrary. The decision allows developers JDS Development Group, CIM Group, L+M Development Partners, and Starrett Corporation to proceed with the four towers, which will sprout adjacent to the recently completed 72-story One Manhattan Square complex designed by Adamson Associates in an area largely devoid of tall skyscrapers.

The forthcoming towers are set to bring 2,700 residential units to the area,...

After brief uncertainty, 9/11 memorial display to go ahead as usual

2020-08-17T15:56:00-04:00

The National September 11 Memorial & Museum’s Tribute in Light will shine this year after all, officials said on Saturday. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York said the state would provide the health personnel and supervision so that the display, which has memorialized the attacks on the Twin Towers since 2002, could safely continue.

The Museum had previously canceled this year's display due to coronavirus concerns for the workers paid to install the 88 light bulbs that make up the installation. After New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and other stepped into insure safety for these workers, however, memorial officials changed course and will produce the familiar twin towered memorial light display for this year's 9/11 anniversary.

BIG’s Manhattan flood wall resiliency project advances

2019-10-04T13:01:00-04:00

The plan calls for strengthening 2.4 miles of coastline from Montgomery to East 25th Streets by creating a series of flood walls, levies, reconstructing bridges at Delancey and 10th Streets, while also raising East River Park by 8 to 9 feet by placing piles of dirt on top of the existing landscape.

New York City’s $1.45 billion East Side Coastal Resiliency project (ESCR) has been approved by the New York City Planning Commission despite community outcry over the required temporary closure of the Lower East Side’s East River Park that the project entails. The project is designed by One Architecture & Urbanism, Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects, AKRF, and Bjarke Ingels Group.

Describing the necessity and potential impact of the project to The Villager, New York City Planning Commission Chair Marisa Lago said,“The ESCR project responds to one of the most pressing issues that the city and the globe is facing, seven years after Sandy parts of our city are still recovering from its devastation including areas that would be protected by this project.”

Lago added, “This application is a pivotal step in protecting nearly 200,000 New Yorkers in Lower Manhattan and includes tens of thousands of residents living in public housing.”

...

Bill de Blasio proposes Manhattan shoreline extension to combat projected sea level rise

2019-03-18T14:40:00-04:00

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio proposed a $10 billion plan to push out the lower Manhattan coastline as much as 500 feet, or two city blocks, to protect from flooding that’s expected to become more frequent as global temperatures rise. [...] Portions of the extended land would be at 20 feet above sea level. The city can’t build flood protection on the existing land because it’s too crowded with utilities, sewers and subway lines, he said.

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio has unveiled the city's comprehensive plan to increase resilience in Lower Manhattan, a low-lying, highly critical area that has proven to be vulnerable to storm surges and flooding. The newly published Lower Manhattan Climate Resilience Study recommends extending the Manhattan shoreline into the East River to better protect the Seaport and the Financial District.

Lower Manhattan 100-Year Floodplains. Image: NYC Mayor’s Office

“Hurricane Sandy showed us how vulnerable areas like Lower Manhattan are to climate change,” said de Blasio in his public announcement. “That’s why we not only have to reduce emissions to prevent the most cataclysmic potential effects of global warming, we have to prepare for the ones that are already inevitable. Our actions will protect Lower Manhattan into the next century. We need the federal government to stand behind cities like New York to meet this crisis head on.”

Click image above to access the Lower Manhattan Climate Resi...

Lower Manhattan is quickly becoming the epicenter of the New York architecture scene

2017-07-19T14:03:00-04:00

According to The Real Deal, via the Downtown Alliance, the center of the New York architecture world is heading south, with over 100 architecture and engineering firms concentrated in Lower Manhattan. Nearly half of them moved there in the last decade or so, while others—like SOM and AECOM—settled in the area even earlier.

Apparently, a lot of the firms were once in Midtown South and SoHo, but rising rents forced them out. In fact, 10 of the 15 architecture firms that relocated to Lower Manhattan in 2014 were coming from the former. That’s because, in part, rents jumped a solid 13% each year between 2010 and 2013 in Midtown South—the “most expensive major market in the nation,” according to Tristan Ashby of JLL.

Other forces driving architecture down into the lower reaches of Manhattan include easy access to mass transit as well as an influx of new restaurants.

But it’s not clear how long Lower Manhattan will remain the loci of New York architecture. For example, BIG has announced t...