SHoP's '111 west 57th street' skyscraper documented by paul clemence

paul clemence has shared his recent photography of ‘111 west 57th street’, the supertall residential skyscraper in midtown manhattan designed by SHoP architects. previously featured on designboom when it topped out in 2019, the 1,428 foot-tall (435 meter) project is positioned between 6th and 7th avenues — with perfectly centered views of new york’s central park. at its base, the development comprises the site’s historic ‘steinway hall’, a former store and recital hall for piano company steinway & sons. the project is currently under construction and could complete later in 2021.

all images © paul clemence from ARCHI-PHOTO

designed by SHoP architects with interiors by studio sofield, 111 west 57th street pays respect to its historic context with a classically new york expression. developed by JDS development group, property markets group, and spruce capital partners, the form of the tower is a bold interpretation of what is possible within the requirements of the midtown manhattan zoning envelope.

paul clemence’s photos not only illustrate the scale and form of the skyscraper, but also document its terracotta façade. ‘terra-cotta is one of the most beautiful and adaptable materials available to architects today,’ explains SHoP. ‘for 111 west 57th street, blocks of sequentially varying profiles were modeled, extruded, glazed, and then stacked into an involuted pattern, like a softly breaking wave, that appears at once novel and familiar. staggering those elements across the facade creates a distinctive moiré that changes dramatically when seen in different lights or from various distances.’ see designboom’s previous coverage of the project here.