The Copper (building)
American Copper Buildings | |
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![]() Under construction on 9 October 2016. | |
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General information | |
Status | Under construction |
Type | Residential |
Location | 626 First Avenue kips bay |
Estimated completion | 2017[1] |
Management | JDS Development Largo Investments |
Height | |
Roof | 540 feet (160 m) (West tower) 470 feet (140 m) (East tower) |
Technical details | |
Floor count | 48 |
Floor area | 824,000 square feet (76,600 m2) |
Design and construction | |
Architect(s) | SHoP Architects |
American Copper Buildings (originally known as 626 First Avenue) is a dual-tower residential skyscraper under construction in the Kips Bay neighborhood of New York City, in Manhattan. The building is being developed by JDS Development and was designed by SHoP Architects.[2] The building is one of several major collaborations between JDS and SHoP; others include 111 West 57th Street,[3] also in Manhattan, and 9 DeKalb Avenue,[4] in Brooklyn.
History
The site the two towers occupy was originally a 6.4 acre lot that hosted a power plant. While owned by Sheldon Solow, the plant was razed, and Solow paid to have the land cleaned, although he later sold the plot to JDS in 2013 for $172 million. JDS secured a loan from Cornerstone Real Estate Advisors to purchase the land.[1] Solow's plans for the site involved a seven-tower, $4 billion complex designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. The SOM plan would also have included a park and a public school, as well as an adjacent public space designed by American architect Richard Meier.[5] Solow later changed his plans to a twin-tower structure, which JDS preserved, although with a new architect.[6] Solow is still developing a nearby lot, with a building designed by Meier.[7]
Construction began on the site in mid-2014, and the copper cladding was first applied in mid-2015.[8] As of late 2015, the towers were nearly topped-out, and installation of the bridge between the two towers began in January 2016.[9][10] A website for the project appeared in April 2016, and the name of the towers was changed from 626 First Avenue to the American Copper Buildings.[11]
Design
The exterior of the building is clad in copper. This metal cladding is similar to other SHoP-designed buildings, such as Barclay's Center. As of April 2016, the copper exterior has begun to patina, and the structures will eventually change color entirely.[12] The two towers are designed such that they appear to "dance" with each other.[1] They are also connected by a bridge approximately 300 feet from the ground, which will be three levels in height.[13] The taller tower will be 540 feet in height, and the shorter tower will be 470 feet tall.[2]
Skybridge
The two towers are connected by a skybridge which will include amenities for residents. According to the developers, it is the first such bridge constructed in Manhattan in eighty years.[12]
Usage
The building will be residential, and will include 800 rental units.[14] Twenty percent of the units in the two towers will be designated affordable, with the remaining eighty percent to be rented at market.
The building will be split between 725,000 square feet of residential space, 94,700 square feet of amenities and facilities for residents, and a small 4,100 square foot retail complex on the ground floor.[9]
Amenities
The bridge connecting the development's two towers will include a pool and a lounge for residents. The building will also include a squash court and a gym with views of the East River.[14] Other amenities will be concentrated on the top of the east tower, with the top of the west tower reserved for mechanical space.[15]
References
- ^ a b c Stulberg, Ariel (4 December 2015). "Developers swapping penthouses for top floor amenities". The Real Deal. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
- ^ a b Hylton, Ondel (13 July 2015). "New Video Reveals How SHoP's 626 First Avenue Will Dance into Midtown's East River Skyline". 6sqft. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
- ^ "111 West 57th Street - JDS Development Group". JDS Development Group. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
- ^ "340 Flatbush Ave Ext. Revealed, Brooklyn's First Supertall Skyscraper". Retrieved 12 November 2015.
- ^ Bagli, Charles V. (19 August 2013). "Prime Lot, Empty for Years (Yes, This Is Manhattan)". The New York Times. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
- ^ Dailey, Jessica (13 February 2013). "800-Unit Apartment Complex To Rise In First Avenue Mud Pit". Curbed. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
- ^ Wilson, Reid (20 May 2016). "Reveal for 42-Story, 556-Unit Rental/Condo Tower Planned at 685 First Avenue, Murray Hill". YIMBY. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
- ^ Wilson, Reid (15 July 2015). "Cladding Appears At 626 First Avenue, Twin-Towered Development Rising in Murray Hill". YIMBY. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
- ^ a b Baird-Remba, Rebecca (2 December 2015). "JDS' Apartment Towers Rise at 626 First Avenue". YIMBY. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
- ^ Mitanis, Marcus (11 January 2016). "Sky Bridge Installation Begins at SHoP's 626 First Avenue". Skyrise Cities. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
- ^ Plitt, Amy (20 April 2016). "SHoP's Bendy Kips Bay Rentals Get a New Name, Interior Renders". Curbed. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
- ^ a b Bindelglass, Evan (21 April 2016). "JDS and SHoP Show Off Skybridge at American Copper Buildings, 626 First Avenue". YIMBY. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
- ^ "Feature> In and Outdoors: Increasing urban populations demand innovative green spaces". The Architect's Paper. 11 February 2011. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
- ^ a b Fishbein, Rebecca (17 September 2015). "Introducing New York City's Very Own Leaning Tower Of Pisa". The Gothamist. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
- ^ McConnon, Aili (3 December 2015). "A Penthouse for Everyone: Developers Reserve Top Floors for Shared Amenities". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 25 February 2016.