Robert A.M. Stern Architects (RAMSA) has topped out a forthcoming residential tower in New York City billed as the firm's "smallest Manhattan Building" currently under development.
The project, designed for developers CBSK Ironstate, features 14 full-floor residences and a duplex penthouse, according to a project announcement. The tower rises a total of 250-feet, 8-inches.
Construction photographs shared by the architects highlight the tower's concrete structural walls completed, with lower level areas already clad in masonry and stone finishes. The project, designed to evoke a bygone era of luxury development, respect's the existing streetwall along the sidewalk, is decked out in classically-inspired trim and ornamentation, and features punched window openings instead of glass curtainwalls, like many of the firm's signature housing projects.
A statement from a press release describing the project reads: "The rising facade showcases the building’s intent to return to an era when Manhattan apartment living was classic, refined and defined by the context of a neighborhood. Deeply rooted in Classical architecture, the 19th-century style known for its eclectic, urbane and understated buildings, the facade will feature basket weave brick, buttresses, and a Flemish bond - a pattern of alternating long sides and ends in various shades of grey, that add a refined but quiet surface rhythm."
Describing the project, Michael D. Jones, a Partner at Robert A.M. Stern Architects, “Taking cues from some of New York's most admired early 20th-century apartment houses,” adding, “We've elegantly expressed the variety of rooms within by carefully situating windows and terraces on our building's facades, endowing each full-floor residence with a sense of individuality as the building steps up to its romantic crown.”
Kelly Behun is responsible for the project's interior design. Construction on the tower is set to wrap up in late 2021 with a projected occupancy date for the tower sometime during the third quarter of next year. On the opposite side of Central Park, RAMSA's 950-foo-tall 220 Central Park South tower is nearly complete, as well.
22 Comments
Those shifting symmetries are kind of fun, and done well. That's an impressive, well designed elevation!
looks better as an un-clad concrete skeleton.
This one works because the size and location are pretty much identical to the early 20th century NYC stuff Stern copies. His design approach goes off the rails when the buildings are 950' tall (Central Park Tower) or located in non-NYC places like Minneapolis, Chicago, etc.
I drive by the one in MPLS every saturday, it's, a thing.
when you can’t afford Berke
I'd be very surprised if Ramsa is the economical alternative to Berke (or any other firm) his target market is literally billionaires.
RAMSA is still the go-to name for new classical condos around the world. The Chinese market loves them too.
A lot of RAMSA buildings look cheaply done up close. Berke is slightly more modern, but does better detail work. I like this building though, its properly understated with enough interesting parts to make the Chinese bidders interested
Yeah RAMSA is one of the few architects who gets his name plastered on condo ads and brochures around the world. Berke's firm does fantastic work but their name doesn't sell condos.
RAMSA makes money while doing what every back office hack does - shit architecture. I mean are there even water tanks at the top of this. They literally translated design by utility into high-end crap. come-on man!
A building in NYC looks like that because it had to, you know - building codes, construction standards... you know it's perverse and not accurate given the splotchy brick selection. builders used the brick available and no way the brick clay was that varied in color....this is McDonald architecture at Steakhouse prices.
this is really nice. it picks up the irregularities and quirkinesses that make most buildings from that era interesting to look at.
Did my comment get deleted? Boo.
No
Hm must've been a technical glitch then.
Tryin' it again..
pika pika!
As a volume and from a distance looking through your eyelashes it is probably not that bad.
RAMSA also seems to try harder when the buildings are in NYC. Their recent jobs near me in Texas are brutal, ham-fisted rubbish.
It boils down to real estate prices and new classical translates poorly without premium details and materials - which are only financially feasible in a few cities.
This is certainly true for most architecture. Designers tend to do best in their hometown--or places they live in for more than a two week site visit. RAMSA no different.
“No money, no details”
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