Archinect - News

Judge issues final ruling on challenge that would have cut down 200 Amsterdam

2021-09-14T14:25:00-04:00

A zoning battle over the height of a planned residential tower in Manhattan’s Upper West Side has been resolved in the New York Supreme Court, ending a yearslong legal dispute that was seen by some as a potential harbinger for luxury development schemes in the nation’s largest city.

200 Amsterdam came under scrutiny almost immediately after being announced in 2016 from a slate of organizations who claimed the 52-story apartment building was able to exploit a loophole in order to obtain the building permits necessary to put a high-rise development in a neighborhood that has traditionally been residential.

The Elkus Manfredi-designed building saw its initial permit temporarily revoked in 2017 thanks to a challenge filed with the city’s Department of Buildings. The permit was re-issued that September, and what followed was a torrent of lawsuits, reviews, stop-work issues, and an attempt at obtaining a restraining order that was eventually denied.

All the while work continued on the s...

Construction on NYC's 200 Amsterdam continues despite court ruling

2020-06-08T14:19:00-04:00

Despite concerns that the upper 20 stories of the Elkus Manfredi Architects-designed 200 Amsterdam tower in New York City were inappropriately approved for construction, work on the 56-story luxury residential tower continues apace.

Earlier this year, a New York State Supreme Court ruling handed down against SJP Properties and Mitsui Fudosan America, the developers behind the project, indicated that the building's permitting approvals should be revoked by New York City officials. The ruling indicated that the project's buildable envelope was created as a result of a "gerrymandered" lot configuration that was developed to strategically goose up the allowable height and bulk of the proposed project.

Previously on Archinect: "Let's Move the Conversation From Demolition to Creating More Affordable Housing." View of the 200 Amsterdam tower. Image courtesy of 200 Amsterdam.

New York YIMBY reports that construction has reached the stepped tower's crown, where final cladding and curtain wal...

Ruling could force developer to demolish top 20 floors of Manhattan luxury tower

2020-02-17T11:10:00-05:00

Developers SJP Properties and Mitsui Fudosan America may be forced, under a recent New York State Supreme Court ruling, to tear down the top 20 stories of a nearly-completed 56-story luxury residential skyscraper in New York City designed by Elkus Manfredi Architects.

The New York Times reports that last week, New York Supreme Court Justice W. Franc Perry found that the property at 200 Amsterdam Avenue on the city’s Upper West Side was being developed in excess of its allowed zoning. The judge ordered the New York City Department of Buildings to revoke the building permit for a tower currently under construction at the 200 Amsterdam Avenue site, as part of this revocation, the portions of the building that exceed the allowed zoning envelope for the site will have to be removed.

Previously on Archinect: “Stepped NYC tower designed by Elkus Manfredi heads toward completion.” View of the 200 Amsterdam tower. Image courtesy of 200 Amsterdam.

The exact building height and density allowe...

Stepped NYC tower designed by Elkus Manfredi heads toward completion

2019-12-06T16:12:00-05:00

An eye-catching stepped luxury residential tower designed by Elkus Manfredi Architects is nearing completion in New York City.

New York YIMBY reports that the 668-foot tower, 200 Amsterdam, topped out in August of this year. In the months since, the tower's crown has taken shape as its glass and Carrara marble-wrapped facade panels have continued they way up the spire.

A rendering highlighting the tower's stepped crown. Image courtesy of Elkus Manfredi Architects.

The 51-story tower is set to contain 112 residential units as well as a series of high-end building amenities, including an indoor swimming pool, virtual golf room, and children's play space, among other elements. CetraRuddy is leading the interior design for the project, which features a collection of 3-, 4-, and 5-bedroom units.

The tower is the latest stepped monolith to take shape in the city, as the SHoP Architects-designed 111 West 57th features a similar, though much taller, profile. Like the SHoP tower, 200 Amste...

Boston architects create a waterfront hotel with permeable ground floor to prepare for sea level rise

2019-09-27T13:30:00-04:00

“We are building a 100-year building. We want to make sure it will last 100 years, but well beyond that,” explained William R. Halter, an architect for Elkus Manfredi, the firm behind the building’s design.

Elkus Manfredi's design for the St. Regis Residences allows the lowest floor of the 22-story luxury tower to be permanently be raised by up to five feet without disturbing the building's two-story ground-level restaurant. The design was created to allow the building to adapt to rising sea levels by plugging into a planned network of elevated streets set to rise above the area's existing roads.

The 114-unit complex is slated to be completed in 2021.

Is New York's Hudson Yards a playground for billionaires or a budding new urban landscape?

2019-02-25T21:16:00-05:00

On March 15, after 12 years of planning and six of construction, the Related Companies will open the gates to its new $25 billion enclave [...] Besides being big, Hudson Yards represents something fundamentally new to New York. It’s a one-shot, supersized virtual city-state, plugged into a global metropolis but crafted to the specifications of a single boss: Related’s chairman, Stephen Ross

New York's new Hudson Yards is a preview of what major cities may look like in the next few years. Upon first glance, the new complex oozes a distinct look. Some might call it progressive luxury design, others may think otherwise. However, the 12 year project has several people looking to stake a claim at the chance to live in new development. The complex is said to be a one-stop shop of amenities and luxury living, however, does the new complex belong in New York's urban landscape of historic grit?

Hudson Yards, Image by Timothy Schenck for Related-Oxford Source: Business Insider

According to New York Magazine's Justin Davidson, his feelings towards to the new structure is a response many are probably thinking. "I can't help feeling like an alien here, as though I've crossed from real New York, with all its jangling mess, into a movie studio's back-lot version. Everything is too clean, too flat, too art-directed." It goes without saying that since the project's announcement many hav...

New renderings of Hudson Yards’ retail and restaurant spaces

2017-05-09T17:34:00-04:00

Kenneth A. Himmel, president of Related’s mixed-use division Related Urban, said in a statement, “Exceptional dining experiences are extremely important in curating not only the restaurant collection, but the new neighborhood we are creating, and we are thrilled with the caliber of chefs and restaurateurs that will be coming to Hudson Yards. These chefs and restaurateurs represent the most creative and visionary leaders both in this industry and around the world.”

Yesterday, developers Related Companies and Oxford Properties Group announced that celebrity chef José Andrés would bring a 35,000-square-foot food hall to Hudson Yards.

Fresh off the news, they've also released a slew of new renderings of the mega-development's retail and restaurant spaces, which include a big new restaurant from David Chang and the massive Neiman Marcus store set to anchor the project.