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MANHATTAN WEST, NEW YORK CITY
this, saying glass has a versatility other materials don’t – making it the perfect choice for achieving the sculptural quality they were after. “Glass was the only enclosure material that could make this possible,” he says. “The vision and spandrel zones on the facade have few differences in appearance.” This also has the added benefit of allowing plenty of natural daylight and maximising views for the users of the buildings.
© SOM
Glass’ versatility made it the perfect choice for achieving the sculptural quality the architects were after
Glass also formed a key feature of the design of the adjacent Pendry hotel, where it has been used alongside granite to form an undulating facade which, says Van Holsbeke, gives the building a distinct identity and “subtly indicates the building’s role.” The “repeating, sinuous character” helps it stand out, adds Timm. The designers’ thought process behind this facade was a contemporary take on the bay window – a “perfect” element for a boutique hotel in Manhattan, says Timm. “It allows the interior spaces to visually connect with the surroundings – such as the Empire State Building – to help guests feel the essence of New York, while also bringing in more natural light.” The curved floor to ceiling windows in each room give hotel guests views they wouldn’t have had with a flatter facade, as well as giving the practice a chance to create floorplates that are a little different from the norm. Externally, granite spandrels balance the glazing and “emphasise the curves of the exterior,” Timm adds.
© SOM
Although it appears as though the glass facade curves continuously, this is something of an illusion, as “strategic geometric design” meant only 22% of the curtain wall panels required bending on the hotel’s facade. “To further reduce unnecessary complexity and enable the use of a low-environmental impact bending process, just three radii were utilised to generate the curves of the bent panels,” Timm explains. To give the building a “unified, monolithic expression” – as well as provide environmental benefits – the practice used a tinted outer glass substrate, “minimising the visual delta between the convex and concave surfaces,” Timm says. Working with such high volumes of glass meant potential overheating, cooling, and acoustics were all issues to be considered. A coating was used on the glass to control heat loss and gain, though the practice faced the added challenge of ensuring this was bendable for the Pendry and the curved elements of One and Two Manhattan West. The acoustic transmittance of the glass
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for the Pendry was also thoroughly tested before they settled on the final curtain wall design. The tinted glass substrate used on the hotel also assists with minimising overheating, and subtle flat, operable vents were installed. “They don’t distract from the facade’s beauty,” assures Timm. It was also decided from early on in the project that One and Two Manhattan West would target LEED Gold certification, which Van Holsbeke describes as an “aggressive goal. We had to thoughtfully design and plan the enclosure, systems, materials, and construction,” he says. The project as a whole was “planned holistically”, Van Holsbeke continues. “We were taking essentially a brownfield site and adding density and extensive landscaping. Outdoor space, access to nature, for all the building’s users and anyone entering the site, were essential to the vision,” he says. The outdoor space was not only important for the development, but its connection to the wider area. “We’re starting to see that already with the elevated pedestrian connection to the High Line we’ve designed.”
The public space as a whole forms a series of “urban corridors” running along West 31st and West 33rd Streets. Manhattan West’s central plaza then picks up where West 32nd Street ends, at Penn Station on Seventh Avenue. “Together, these urban connections
redefine the streetscape and help bring a new destination to life,” Van Holsbeke says. This has been bolstered by other improvements locally, including concourse upgrades at Penn Station and the transformation of the James A. Farley post office building into Moynihan Train Hall, which SOM also designed. Manhattan West had its formal opening in late September 2021, after just over a decade of work. The majority of the development had been completed prior to the pandemic, and the elements that weren’t – Two Manhattan West, the Pendry, and retail podium and plaza – remained on schedule thanks to Brookfield’s quick response and organisation establishing necessary safety protocols to allow work to continue. So far, says Murphy, the response
has “certainly been positive. The development is very much designed and planned with people in mind – as a place that makes public space its centrepiece. It will serve New Yorkers and visitors year-round.” g
ADF MARCH 2022
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