Neil Denari's New York landmark building HL23 will open its doors on June 1, 2011. All interiors are scheduled to be complete to coincide with the opening of Section 2 of the High Line.

Press release after the jump.
Neil Denari's New York landmark building HL23 will open its doors on June 1, 2011. All interiors are scheduled to be complete to coincide with the opening of Section 2 of the High Line.
Press release after the jump.
BIRTH OF AN ICON: HL23, NEIL DENARI NEW YORK LANDMARK BUILDING, COMES TO COMPLETION JUNE 1, 2011

Alf Naman, Developer, and Erin Boisson Aries, SVP and Director at Brown Harris Stevens, announced today that HL23, the eagerly awaited residential tower by acclaimed Los Angeles architect Neil Denari, will be ready to welcome its first occupants on June 1st. Just as the High Line has reinvigorated West Chelsea, HL23 has participated in the radical transformation of the cityscape. HL23 now stands as a new beacon for the district that has firmly established itself as a major cultural hub. All interiors are scheduled to be complete to coincide with the opening of Section 2 of the High Line.


Photo: Douglas Friedman

With a striking silhouette of patterned, brushed steel panels and glass, which is unmistakable from the High Line, the fourteen-storey building elegantly integrates itself into the public space. The reverse tapering design allowed the architect to realize larger spaces on particular floors, making them close to 40% wider than the street-level footprint, while the low-iron glass gives its façade a more open and fluid appearance. Sustainably built, HL23 expects to receive Gold LEED Certification.

“I can’t tell you how satisfying it is to pursue a challenging, formal project,” says Neil Denari. “It is rare that a building is built as it was designed - without compromise.”


Photo: Lux Productions

The unconventional shape of the building influences each units’ unique interior layout which have been designed by Thomas Juul-Hansen. Juul-Hansen’s precise plans focus on clean, welcoming and simple designs that articulate moments throughout the spaces. The units combine grandness with livability: floor-to-ceiling low-iron glass windows constitute two of the three exterior walls and an open central loft-like living space is paired with more traditional domestic spaces that provide privacy. The building contains eleven homes, including nine full-floor residencies and two duplexes. The first duplex on floors two and three includes a living room with 18 foot ceilings and a 700-square foot private outdoor space. The penthouse duplex includes a modernist glass cube living room featuring oversized sliding doors that open onto the 1,100-square foot wraparound private terrace.

According to Naman, “HL23’s airy interiors were inspired by elegant modernist environments and the aesthetics and openness of traditional artist’s spaces. Exposed structural elements highlight the overall sculptural quality of these stunning interiors.”


Photo: Lux Productions

Strategically placed windows frame dramatic vistas of both the city and the river, while others frame unique architectural angles and draw the sculptural elements of the exterior inside. Carefully chosen interior details include handselected, book-matched slab marble in the bathrooms, hardwood floors throughout all residences, either rift-sawn or Dinesen wide plank, and handforged, Nanz hardware.


Photo: Douglas Friedman

To introduce the buildings interiors and to complement their meticulous design, artist / designer Ryan Lawson is curating a selection of vintage and mid-century furniture from two highly-respected dealers, Magen H Gallery and Sebastian + Barquet. Collaborating with Lawson for the ninth floor home, April Magen of Magen H Gallery selected mid-century furniture and decorative elements to accentuate the modernist influenced interiors. An array of museum-quality works from Sebastian + Barquet chosen for the eleventh floor apartment were designed by internationally recognized masters who have left an indelible mark on the design field.


Photo: Douglas Friedman

Beginning in March, HL23 will also host Off Modern, a curated collection of contemporary art that enhances the furnished two floors. The evolving selection of artwork includes some of the most influential artists exhibiting in the neighboring galleries. The ongoing selection includes works by prominent artists such as Ed Ruscha, Jack Pierson, Jason Rhoades, Tracey Emin, and Kate Shepherd, among others. Off Modern is organized and curated by Sandra Antelo-Suarez of TRANS> and Sara Meltzer of Sara Meltzer Gallery/projects and will also include a dynamic program of events including performances, dining experiences and conversations.

Additionally, visitors and residents will be welcomed by a specially commissioned artwork by acclaimed conceptual artist Joseph Kosuth located in the lobby.


Photo: Douglas Friedman

A passionate team of professionals dedicated to the vision of Denari’s innovative ideas, have tirelessly supervised the most intricate details to bring this project to fruition. As a result, the building has won several awards including The SARA NY 2010 Visionary Architecture Award, the Honor Award from the Los Angeles Chapter AIA Next LA Awards Program and has been included in several exhibitions including Manhattan in Fast Forward: Neil Denari Builds on the High Line, Museum of the City of New York; and Skin + Bones: Parallel Practices in Fashion and Architecture, Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, CA.