JERSEY CITY, N.J. - 52-story, 600 ft tower

[NYguy]

Newsday

Koolhaas presents design for 52-story tower in Jersey City

By JANET FRANKSTON LORIN
February 26, 2007

JERSEY CITY, N.J. -- In his design for a 52-story tower across the Hudson River from Manhattan, internationally acclaimed architect Rem Koolhaas wants to inspire social interaction, life and energy.

The building's design _ three rectangular slabs stacked perpendicular to each other _ allows for a mix of uses: condos, a hotel, artist lofts and studios, gallery and retail space.

"I am putting together familiar elements in an unfamiliar way," he said in an interview after presenting renderings and models of the project at the Jersey City Museum.

The Dutch architect, winner of the prestigious Pritzker Architectural Prize, on Monday showcased his plans to transform the Jersey City skyline. He said he was conscious of creating the mix of uses to allow for people to interact, which he said is unusual in a high-rise building.

"We are creating something slightly more memorable and slightly more energetic," he said. "What New Jersey lacks is some visible evidence of a new beginning."

The $400 million project, with public spaces on three levels of the structure, will anchor an arts district a few blocks from the water in an booming area.

It will be among the tallest residential projects in New Jersey and will sit diagonally across the street from another high-rise condo with a famous name, Trump Plaza: Jersey City.

Residential construction continues to blossom in Jersey City, which offers lower prices than New York and a quick commute to Lower Manhattan.

The new building will replace a brick 130-year-old former tobacco factory, now being demolished, which was the subject years of legal dispute. The city wanted to create an arts district in the area, and the owner of the warehouse sued saying Jersey City was restricting what could be developed on the site.

The parties settled last summer, allowing developers to move forward with plans for luxury housing as well as the cultural elements.

The settlement required 117 affordable housing units and 120 less-expensive spaces for artists studios and lofts. Another condition included hiring a world-class architect, said Bill Matsikoudis, the city's corporation counsel.

Koolhaas has also designed the Seattle Public Library, the Prada store in New York, the Casa da Musica concert hall in Porto, Portugal, and the China Central Television Headquarters, under construction in Beijing.

Monday's announcement culminated negotiations to build a signature project in Jersey City, Matsikoudis said

"It's a piece art in and of itself, a 600-foot tall sculpture," he said.

The city's director of planning, Robert Cotter, said the project represents a new kind of urban vitality for Jersey City, more cutting edge than other buildings.

"This city can't grow out anymore," he said. "It'll grow up."

The building must still undergo final design and other approvals from the city, a process expected to take 12 to 14 months; construction should be complete by 2010 or 2011.

Developers with the Athena Group of New York said about 300 condo units are expected to sell for between $500,000 and $1 million. They haven't yet secured an operator for the hotel.

[NYguy]

curbed.com

Across the River, Rem Koolhaas Gone Wild



What we have here is 111 First Street, an innovative, exciting design for a mixed-use development unveiled today by starchitect Rem Koolhaas. Would look great in the East Village, no? Great! Then you'll enjoy the fact even more that the project is actually set to rise in Jersey City.

[NYguy]

More images:
http://jclist.com/modules/newbb/view...forumpost97749

[Lecom]

Wack

[WonderlandPark]

Love it, build it. 100X better than that Trump travesty.

[Thskyscraper]

I'm sorry, but I'm just not a big fan of these building 'mosaics'. More so if they're high enough to define a skyline, which it would in JC since there wouldn't be any buildings blocking it. Well it's not as bad as the one in Louisville, but I'm just not in love with it. Maybe if it was half as tall I'd like it more.

[The Mad Hatter]

whats with OMA and monolithic slabs, with little gimicks which are suppose to represent architecture..louisville,beijing, and now jersey.

[CoolCzech]

You know how there are certain proposals where you take one look at the rendering and almost instantly realize it will never get built?

I got that feeling seeing this one.

I could be wrong - my initial reaction when I saw renderings of the BD was that it was yet another Buck Rogers caricature that a reasonable world would never build... but I'll be really, really surprised if this thing is built without serious modification.

Not that I'm against it: it IS interesting, and it will be great if it IS built, I'll be the first to admit...

[NYC2ATX]

I am loving this one.

[Swede]

I, for one, welcome this building and the new interest it will create for the JC skyline. Jersey City is really booming, just like Brooklyn and Queens (skyline-wise). Thiss will IMO mean the Manhattan skyline becomming even more impressive in it's massiveness.

[macmini]

Originally Posted by CoolCzech

You know how there are certain proposals where you take one look at the rendering and almost instantly realize it will never get built?

I got that feeling seeing this one.

I could be wrong - my initial reaction when I saw renderings of the BD was that it was yet another Buck Rogers caricature that a reasonable world would never build... but I'll be really, really surprised if this thing is built without serious modification.

Not that I'm against it: it IS interesting, and it will be great if it IS built, I'll be the first to admit...

Czech construction has already started on this project it's not my favorit Rem Koolhaas building but this is better then all the boring crap being built in JC. The developer has put to much time and money not to build this project he just gave the Jersey City museum 300k as part of the deal to build the building.

[CoolCzech]

Woah! What a skyline is sprouting across the Hudson! What a great time to be alive and living nearby!

[NYguy]

I actually like it, but we'll see what further design changes have to be made.

The building must still undergo final design and other approvals from the city, a process expected to take 12 to 14 months; construction should be complete by 2010 or 2011.

Imagine the outrage if it were proposed in Manhattan.

It will be among the tallest residential projects in New Jersey and will sit diagonally across the street from another high-rise condo with a famous name, Trump Plaza: Jersey City.

And I agree it's more interesting than this:

[phillyskyline]

Trump Plaza looks like the cookie cutter condos someone in city council was referring too.

[BANKofMANHATTAN]

I don't care for the Trump project, just because he could do way better...and this thing...

In the immortal words of Mr. Horse

*rubs chin...*

"No sir, I don't like it"

Somebody's been playing Jenga again.

But that's just me, i'm not really a fan of this type of achritecture...
However, i do give them credit for being a more imaginative than Mr. Trump in this case.

[antinimby]

Originally Posted by phillyskyline

Trump Plaza looks like the cookie cutter condos someone in city council was referring too.

Well, this Koolhaas project looks like a cookie cutter that was sliced in three and someone turned each section around in a different direction.

[toddguy]

Not as bad as the thing planned for Louisville though.

[Jularc]

Very interesting. Hopefully it gets built.

[Lost Island]

That's even stranger than things proposed in Spain and the Netherlands.

[Swede]

Originally Posted by Jularc

Like I said, booming JC 10 years ago vs. JC in 10 years, huuuge change.