New York by Gehry framed by dramatic storm clouds. 8 Spruce Street. Financial District, New York City.
New York by Gehry, formerly known as the Beekman Tower, is a new skyscraper designed by architect Frank Gehry that is situated at 8 Spruce Street. As one of my favorite new additions to the New York City skyline, I think it looks especially impressive lately against the other buildings that make up the iconic lower Manhattan skyline. It’s especially fascinating in juxtaposition with the Woolworth Building which sits beside it since the Woolworth Building is one of New York City’s oldest skyscrapers. In this particular photo, the Woolworth Building is the skyscraper with the green roof to the left of the New York by Gehry.
It is now the tallest building featuring residential space in the entire Western Hemisphere only beaten by the Trump Tower in Chicago. At 76 stories it’s striking due to the rippling panels that run down the surface of the building.
The structure of the tower, which is organized roughly as a T in plan, is entirely reinforced concrete. Rippling stainless steel panels clad the building and provide the Gehry “stamp,” though he originally specified titanium. Unfortunately, this material wouldn’t withstand abrasive window washing equipment. New York by Gehry’s undulating surfaces have inspired analogies; some have said that it looks like ice melting or rippling waves, while others have deemed it “muscular.” Gehry likens the effect to folds of fabric and has commented that he specifically aspired to “Bernini folds.” The ripples extend deeper than the surface, however. They shape the interior space by creating bay windows within the apartments. The vertical undulation of the facade prevents the striped look typical of many apartment buildings with this coveted feature. *
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* Source: Initially taken from an excerpt on a website called Buildipedia which no longer exists
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I love this building, and seeing the sun glittering off of it in the evening is the highlight of my commute. It’ll be perfect once we destroy that hideous beast of a Verizon building.
