KPF, Kevin Roche unveil design for 51-story Hudson Yards tower in NYC [slideshow]

Related Companies and Oxford Properties Group today unveiled Fifty Five Hudson Yards, the latest addition to the commercial office tower collection in the 28-acre Hudson Yards development. The building is perfectly positioned at the intersection of Hudson Yards, the High Line and Hudson Park & Boulevard.  

The entrance to the building is just across from the new No. 7 subway extension which connects to every other major subway line as well as Grand Central Station. Penn Station is also a less than five-minute walk away. The anticipated LEED Gold, 51-story, 1.3 million gross square foot building is slated to commence construction in January of 2015 and be ready for occupancy at the end of 2017. 

The design of Fifty Five Hudson Yards is defined by its indoor-outdoor spaces, SoHo and early modernism inspired exterior design, and exceptionally efficient interior space planning. The conceptual design of the building was a joint venture of A. Eugene Kohn of Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF) and Pritzker Prize-winning architect Kevin Roche; KPF served as the Design Architect.

One of the few office buildings in the entire city opening directly onto a park, the main lobby of Fifty Five Hudson Yards sits at the southwestern edge of the City’s new Hudson Park. With a unique buffer of green space, light and air around the building, Fifty Five Hudson Yards offers a welcoming arrival experience for building tenants and visitors. The architects built on the appeal of this great outdoor space by designing a dramatic outdoor terrace overlooking the park on the building’s tenth floor.  

Situated where the building sets back from the podium floors to the tower, this elegantly landscaped vantage will provide scenic views of Hudson Park as it extends to the north, and the Hudson Yards Public Square and the High Line to the south. The ability to provide gracious indoor-outdoor space continues up the building as the design offers the ability to carve private, double-height terrace spaces into the tower in flexible locations.  These tower terraces allow tenants and guests to enjoy an outdoor experience surrounded by superb views of the Hudson River and the Midtown skyline without having to leave the building. 

The revitalized High Line district, the manufactured cast iron façade of SoHo commercial buildings and the best of early modernism have inspired the façade of Fifty Five Hudson Yards.  The matte metal and stepped articulation of the window frames present a strong and solid exterior appearance, which is modern but uniquely New York in character.  

Sun and shadow play across the detailed façade frames creating a visually rich interplay and an unusually strong sense of texture and depth.  While the building references the solid exterior of the City’s classic cast iron buildings, it also shares their expansive windows and interior light.  Fifty Five Hudson Yards will offer floor-to-ceiling glass throughout the building, bringing light streaming across the entirety of each floor and helping to promote the open skyline and river views it enjoys.

The interior planning of the building was conceived after extensive study of the space needs of professional service, financial, creative and technology firms. The plan starts with a tight, efficient core configuration that eliminates all openings from its perimeter.  Without these openings, and with the tower floors free of interior columns, the flexibility of the usable space on each floor is limitless.  

Moreover, floor-to-ceiling glass, 35-foot lease-spans and the absence of any corner columns imbue the floors with a sense of light and air through clear-finished, extra-high, 10-foot ceilings. Each floor contains an on-floor, independent HVAC system with single path circulation.  The design has multiple opportunities to showcase tenant’s brands and is designed to meet every business need with premium amenities, destination dispatch elevators and designated car drop off access.  At a height of over 780 feet, the unobstructed views over the Hudson River and of midtown will be stunning throughout the tower floors.

“Fifty Five Hudson Yards further establishes Hudson Yards as the new heart of New York,” said Jay Cross, President of Related Hudson Yards.  “Featuring the best in culture, dining, shopping and more, the commercial office space, steps from transportation and lush, expansive green space, sets a new standard for working in New York City. Today’s business leaders are now more than ever focused on the recruitment and retention of talent and we believe a corporate address at Fifty Five Hudson Yards offers a distinct competitive advantage with a compelling experience inside and outside of the office.”

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South of Fifty Five is the Hudson Yards Public Square, which will serve as an urban stage, celebrating the energy of the City with space for events, exhibitions and gatherings. The Public Square, designed by Thomas Heatherwick and Thomas Woltz, features six acres of gardens and public plazas.

Hudson Yards is the largest private real estate development in the history of the United States and the largest development in New York City since Rockefeller Center. The 28-acre site will include more than 17 million square feet of commercial and residential space, more than 100 shops and restaurants, approximately 5,000 residences, a unique cultural space, 14 acres of public open space, a 750-seat public school and a 150-room luxury hotel—all offering unparalleled amenities for residents, employees and guests. It is anticipated that more than 24 million people will visit Hudson Yards every year.

For more information about Fifty Five Hudson Yards please visit 55HudsonYards.com or www.hudsonyardsnewyork.com.