The site for this building lies at the intersection of two of the most important streets in Queens, Vernon Boulevard and Jackson Avenue. This dramatic flat-iron shaped site is highly visible from both major streets, and faces two very different public plazas Vernon Plaza and the adjacent sunken Midtown Tunnel Toll Plaza. In this way, the building stands at the very gateway to two adjacent and different neighborhoods, Long Island City and Manhattan.

The building contains 32 residences, a raised courtyard garden, and a large open restaurant space at the ground floor that faces each avenue. The design of the building responds to this important and unusual context through its massing, treatment of façade, and choice of materials.

Two long façades on either side of the triangular building face two very different plazas. These two façades are articulated as a crisp taut planes to address the grand scale of each public space. The overall building massing, in contrast to the taut façades, is highly sculptural and responds to the unusual shape of the site in a way that is unusual for an urban infill building. The corners of the building are highly articulated with a series of striking cantilevered balconies that extend out into the angles corners of the site as the façades peels away in a series of layers to reveal the concrete structure beneath.

The building features unusually high floor heights (twelve feet) and a striking palette of materials including brushed stainless steel panels, glass, and perforated aluminum panels. The elegant glazing system was purchased from Eastern Europe to maintain both the quality and a tight budget. The perforated aluminum creates a delicate series of screens on the taut façade, while also serving to screen the PTAC ventilation system on the exterior.

With its sculptural massing and highly articulated façades, this building will serve as a gateway between Manhattan and one of the city’s most important emerging neighborhoods.