Snøhetta Unveils Carved Residential Tower and Synagogue for New York City’s Upper West Side

Snøhetta has unveiled the design of a new residential skyscraper to be built in Manhattan’s Upper West Side that will feature a unique, multi-level amenity terrace carved from the tower’s form. Located at 50 West 66th Street just steps from iconic New York City landmarks including Lincoln Center and Central Park, the tower aims to sensitively respond to the historic architecture of its context through its intricate form and refined material palette.

View northeast of shared amenity terrace. Image © Binyan Studios

Clad in textured limestone, bronze and glass, the building will occupy the full lot between 65th and 66th streets, stepping back midway up the tower on its south facade. The podium will contain the residential entrance on 65th Street, as well as a synagogue that will be entranced on 66th.

View of 65th street synagogue entrance. Image © Binyan Studios

As the building rises, its volumes are chamfered and carved away, splitting the massing into two and creating space for the shared amenity terrace on the 16th floor. Intended as a ‘social heart’ for the building, the stepped outdoor terrace will be planted with lush vegetation and will offer views of the Hudson River, Central Park and the city.

“The design is achieved through a series of sculptural excavations, evocative of the chiseled stone of Manhattan’s geologic legacy,” explain Snøhetta.

Above the terrace level, the tower is again carved away, this time at its corners to create private balconies for the residential units.

“This zipper of loggias runs the full length of the upper volume, visually connecting the body to its lustrous, sculpted crown,” describe the architects. “Angled facets evoke this chiseled vocabulary, revealing the same gleaming bronze found at the building’s base.”

The skyscraper will reach a top height of 775 feet (236 metres) and will contain 127 units. Construction is expected to begin in Spring 2018.