W 57th Street Residential Tower
New York City, New York
2015
A strange alignment of financial and tax variables in New York City recently allowed for the financial development and construction of a series of sinuous super-tall residential towers throughout Manhattan. This proposed addition to the resulting urban menagerie is for a 102-story residential building with sweeping views of Central Park and the New York City skyline. The project continued the line of ‘kitbashing’ research projects in the office and sought to use recycled digital objects that had been heavily modified so that their original form was unrecognizable. Each residential unit accordingly receives own unique figural cast-stone façade that frames views from the interior of particular features of the surrounding urban and natural landscapes. The building is draped in a façade of limestone-tinted cast stone panels with hydro formed bronze alloy details and brass-tinted alloy structural extrusion enclosures. The 64th floor features a sky-lobby which houses exclusive retail stores, a double-height high ballroom for events, and an adjacent restaurant space; all of which have access to four massive cantilevered balconies that offer awe-inspiring views of the surrounding urban fabric. The proposal was nicknamed “The Khaleesi,” by the press- a reference to the beautifully pale and mysterious nomadic ruler from the HBO Game of Thrones TV series.