Manhattan's famous skyline has strong ties to the surface bedrock that spreads across much of New York City. Offering solid anchorage for the clusters of towering skyscrapers in Midtown and Downtown, along with interesting rock exposures in places like Central Park, the geology of the area is an important part of the city's identity. And now it has shaped the design of new apartment tower going up in the Upper West side that will carve a distinctly chiseled figure.
The tower is the handiwork of Norwegian architecture firm Snøhetta, which has already made its presence felt in the Big Apple with the National September 11 Memorial Museum, among other notable projects including Slack's NYC headquarters.
The firm says the tower, to be constructed at 50 West 66th Street, is designed to evoke the "chiseled stone of Manhattan's geologic legacy" by way of chamfered corners. This is most noticeable at a mid-section that plays host to a grassy multi-level terrace with views of Central Park and the Hudson River.
This terrace essentially splits the building in two, with a thicker base giving way to a slender upper section at the 16th floor. Diagonally opposite corners are sliced away to create balconies that run all the way up to its sloping roof and offer views at every level of the surrounding cityscape.
The eye-catching tower will be finished in limestone, bronze and glass and will house 127 apartments in total, according to ArchDaily, along with a synagogue on the ground floor. Once finished, it will measure 236 m (775 ft) tall. Construction is slated to begin in 2018.
