By Danielle Prieto
Midtown Manhattan is poised to gain yet another landmark skyscraper. This time, it will be a 77-story tower constructed atop the 17-story Steinway Hall building located at 107 West 57th Street. The traditional façade of Steinway Hall will be preserved and its interior restored. Steinway Hall is a quintessential New York landmark. It opened in 1925 as the official flagship store of the classic piano manufacturers, Steinway & Sons.
This unique construction will grace the New York City skyline and soar 100 feet above the Empire State Building. The innovative new tower will rise to 1,350 feet tall and yet be a mere 60 feet wide. The project was deemed as “daring” by the Landmarks Commission, however, they have approved the plan as of October 2013. The masterminds behind the pending Manhattan structure are the architects at SHoP, a lower Manhattan architecture firm that also crafted the famous Barclays Center in Brooklyn. “It may be the skinniest building ever,” says Greg Pasquerelli, principal at SHoP Architects. “The ratio is something like 25-to-1.”
The one-of-a-kind high-rise will comprise 61 units, with residences beginning on the 10th floor. The tower residences will each have a floor to themselves due to the narrow, slender nature of the building—these will begin on the 17th floor. Current plans show that 107 West 57th Street will boast five duplexes plus a four-story penthouse. A fascinating mixture of both old- and new-world facets, the structure is due for completion in 2016 and will add a distinct flair to the already stunning New York City skyline.