56 leonard by herzog & de meuron takes shape in lower manhattan

56 leonard by herzog & de meuron takes shape in lower manhattan
photo by carly dean

after many delays in construction over the past six years, the herzog & de meuron-designed 56 leonard has risen to near-full height in new york city’s tribeca neighborhood, with its glass curtain-walls installed on the lower levels. with development by alexico group, the residential tower will house 145 units over 60 floors, while consistently offering expansive views of lower and mid-town manhattan. with all but two residences sold, the structure’s completion is scheduled for 2016.

the building’s arrangement resists the high-rise typology’s tendency of being a simple extruded volume, and composes protruding geometries into the concrete floor slabs to create spatially dynamic elevations. this organization produces cantilevered interior spaces as well as outdoor balconies for each of the dwellings.

the structure’s highly reflective and full-height glass curtain walls have been installed on the lower floors
photo by carly dean

once completed, 56 leonard will feature a site-specific stainless steel sculpture by indian artist anish kapoor. the mirror-surfaced piece is designed as a bulging form emerging from the building’s ground level, visually compressed by the concrete floor plate above.

design video of the envisioned ’56 leonard’ being placed on its tribeca site
animation by tronic studio

swiss architecture office herzog & de meuron has also designed each of the residences interiors, including custom furnishings. the use of fully glazed walls allows for complete visual connection to the outside, while reflective treatment of the panels produces increased optical variety on the exterior. the open nature of the dwellings is enhanced by 14-foot high ceilings, while penthouse heights increase up to 19 feet. the units range from 1,430 to 6,380 square-feet in area, and are comprised of two to five bedrooms.

while it is currently on its way to topping out, at a height of 821 feet (250 meters), the design for ’56 leonard’ was originally revealed in 2008. see designboom’s initial coverage on the envisioned tower here.

cantilevered balconies and volumes protrude from the building’s surface
image courtesy of 56 leonard / herzog & de meuron

the tower is composed of 60 floors
image courtesy of 56 leonard / herzog & de meuron

anish kapoor’s sculpture emerges from beneath the building’s floor plate
image courtesy of 56 leonard / herzog & de meuron

image courtesy of 56 leonard / herzog & de meuron

56 leonard will be the tallest structure in manhattan’s tribeca district
image courtesy of 56 leonard / herzog & de meuron

with fully glazed walls, the units offer expansive views of manhattan
image courtesy of 56 leonard / herzog & de meuron

residences feature high ceilings reaching up to 17 feet in penthouse units
image courtesy of 56 leonard / herzog & de meuron

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