[Hypothalamus]

Curbed NY:

55 Hudson Yards Designed As 'A Basic, Fundamental Sculpture'
Wednesday, June 4, 2014, by Jessica Dailey

Partial renderings of Related Companies' west side tower at 55 Hudson Yards were revealed a few weeks ago, but now more images give us the first full look at the 51-story tower, as well as a peek inside. Designed by Eugene Kohn of Kohn Pedersen Fox and Kevin Roche of Kevin Roche John Dinkeloo and Associates LLC—ages 83 and 92 (!), respectively—the building is a result of Related's desire to "cultivate a range of aesthetics" for the multi-tower megaproject. Related papa bear Stephen Ross told Kohn, whose firm has the lead on several towers in the development, to bring in an outside architect, and this was the first time the two industry veterans worked together.

The LEED Gold-seeking building's 10-story base holds floorplates of 44,000 square feet, while the floors in the 41-story tower measure 28,000. A press release says that the tower's design is "defined by its indoor-outdoor spaces, SoHo, and early modernism." Roche told the Journal, "The thing I wanted to avoid was another twisted building. Surely there's a way to design a building that's simple and straightforward, that meets the needs of the developers and occupants—a basic, fundamental sculpture." The tower has a terrace on the 10th floor, and private, double-height terraces were "carved" into the building in various locations.

Related plans to start construction of 55 Hudson Yards, which will be located beside the new pedestrian greenway Hudson Boulevard on the block north of the platform over the railyards, once the space is 30 to 40 percent pre-leased, which should be by next January. If all goes as planned, it will be ready for occupancy by the end of 2017.