One of New York’s Most Ambitious Towers Is Finally Moving Forward
Something enormous is about to replace the Grand Hyatt next to Grand Central Terminal.
Permits have been filed for 175 Park Avenue, a 95-story supertall designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill. It grew from a previously announced 83-story proposal and now pushes toward 1,580 feet, placing it among the tallest structures in the city.
Nearly 3 million square feet. A $6.5 billion price tag. Construction expected to begin within months.
The design is worth slowing down for. A web of interlaced steel columns fans outward from several points at ground level, constrained by the active rail lines running beneath the site, then climbs the full height of the building before resolving into a defined crown.
The tower steps back as it rises, carving out terraces and letting light reach the street below in a way that most buildings this size refuse to bother with.
There is something quietly strange about the location. The Chrysler Building stands directly across the block, one of the most genuinely beautiful structures ever built in America.
Whatever goes up here will live in permanent conversation with it.
That is either a burden or an invitation. SOM seems to think it is the latter.
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