How SHoP is Re-thinking Skyscraper Design and Transforming New York’s Skyline in the Process

2019-10-30T11:50:00-04:00

One doesn’t need to visit New York City in order to understand that the city’s skyline is undergoing drastic change, both within and—increasingly—outside of Manhattan.

In an attempt to better understand the micro- and macro-forces at play shaping the city’s skyline, we’re taking a look at three recent distinctive tower projects designed by SHoP Architects in partnership with JDS Development, Property Markets Group and Spruce Capital Partners, including: 111 West 57th, a spindly supertall under construction on Billionaire’s Row; the American Copper Buildings, two metallic skyscrapers overlooking the FDR expressway; and 9 DeKalb, a forthcoming supertall tower set to become Brooklyn’s tallest building.

Together, along with a forthcoming set of acrobatic high-rises slated for the Brooklyn waterfront that SHoP has also had a hand in crafting, the featured buildings highlight several of the dynamic conversations taking shape within the realm of skyscraper design, as issues of extreme he...

In Praise of César Pelli's Quirky Corners

2019-08-16T16:00:00-04:00

César Pelli has a reputation for designing some of the world’s tallest and most elegant buildings.

And though the architect's facilities with glass skin buildings reached their highest stages late in his career, Pelli's earlier skyscrapers also showcase a deftly skilled artist at work. In the early 1990s, especially, Pelli worked to explore the high-rise corner as a site of architectural experimentation. These efforts, where Pelli carves away at otherwise monolithic edges to create stepped and puckered profiles, can be likened to the "quirks" used in woodworking, subtle changes in geometry that mask the juncture of two pieces of wood. At the scale of the skyscraper, quirks create softened edges around otherwise planar towers, and break down a tower's geometries into more visually pleasing configurations.

Let's take a look at Pelli's quirky corners.

Archinect - Features

How SHoP is Re-thinking Skyscraper Design and Transforming New York’s Skyline in the Process

In Praise of César Pelli's Quirky Corners