A design feature from a prominent new NYC condo and hotel tower seems to have found its way into Ellicott Developments’ recently proposed project slated for the corner of Franklin and W. Tupper streets.
Located just south of Central Park, Midtown Manhattan’s One57 is the city’s first residential tower to surpass 1,000 feet. Like perhaps most new buildings, it isn’t universally admired as a great piece of architecture, but the idea – that of a building whose cascading facade denotes movement and fluidity – is intellectually cohesive. The curved oscillating glass panels at the bottom of the building are vaguely reminiscent of flowing water and also serve to delineate the location of the buildings’ entrances. It was designed by French architect Christian de Portzamparc.
One57 contains the first residence in Manhattan to sell for over $90 million; a 10,923 sq. ft. penthouse on the 89th and 90th floors that sold for $100.5 million in January.
The buildings’ 94 units are 75 percent sold, with remaining inventory ranging from $18.85 to $32.5 million. The residential floors sit atop the new Park Hyatt New York.
Its success has spurred the construction of other super luxury residential buildings on the southern edge of Central Park that are being marketed to the worlds’ ultra-wealthy.
Back in Buffalo, Ellicott Developments’ recent proposal appears to apply the idea of using curved panels in a similar fashion. In this case, vertical ribbons of textured metal screening have been added to the building’s parking ramp levels to provide visual interest. It was designed by Kideney Architects.
The project represents a substantial $75 million investment by Ellicott into downtown Buffalo. The 12-story building would feature a 109 room hotel, 28 apartments, 30,000 sq. ft. of commercial space, and a six level parking ramp with room for 350 cars.