New York’s Fifth Ave
New York City’s 666 Fifth Ave. office tower might be topped with a vertical design by Pritzker Prize-winner Zaha Hadid, according to The New York Post. Top developers Steve Roth and Jared Kusher announced their plan to turn the 41-story building, designed by Carson & Lundin in 1957, into “a 1,400 foot tall vertical mall, hotel and residential tower”.
Jared Kusher – Photography: Michael Sofronski
Although no details or renders of the design were released, The New York Post mentions “Zaha Hadid has already prepared a scheme that would restack the current 41-story building into a slender, super-tall hotel and residential tower above a vertical retail podium.”
The expansion would turn the existing building into a Manhattan landmark, with clear views of Central Park, thanks to its great location. If the plan goes through, the new tower would combine Vornado’s retail and office assets, but it would also relocate some of the tenants, such as Colliers International. The project would not, however, affect the Zara store, as it is separately owned.
666 Fifth Avenue – Courtesy of http://vno666fifth.com
The building was purchased by Vornado Realty in 2006 a staggering $1.8 billion. With this high-rise investment in Midtown Manhattan, no less than 50-yards of high-end retail will be added to the world’s most expensive corridor. So far, the “vertical mall” proved to be a success for New York, as Faith Hope Consolo, chairman of Douglas Elliman Retail mentioned. She also noted the proximity to Bergdorf and Saks and the Fifth Ave address, referring to the plan as a “no-brainer”.
520 West 28th Street, Render – Courtesy of Zaha Hadid Architects
The Fifth Ave. tower would not be Zaha Hadid’s first design in New York. She also realized “520 West 28th Street”, an ongoing project for a residential block on the High Line in Chelsea, and New York City’s Park Avenue tower scheme proposal for a 2012 competition, won by fellow British architect, Norman Foster.
By: Ana Cosma