Dezeen Magazine

16 residential projects by famous architects are changing the face of New York

New York is experiencing a boom in high-end residential construction not seen since before the 2008 recession, including buildings by Álvaro Siza, Bjarke Ingels, Rafael Viñoly and Renzo Piano.

The list of architects now designing towers in New York includes several Pritzker Prize winners, like Shigeru Ban and Zaha Hadid. Though these buildings are reshaping both the skyline and the street, most New Yorkers will only experience them from the outside, and not everyone is happy about the boom.

Architect Steven Holl bemoaned the growing presence of supertall towers for the ultra-wealthy in Dezeen, calling them "profane spires". Aaron Betsky echoed that thought, writing "Manhattan is theirs, we just get to admire it". New York residents have also protested again the shadows cast by some of the new skyscrapers.

Scroll down for 16 examples of architect-designed multi-family buildings:


432 Park Avenue by Rafael Vinoly

432 Park Avenue New York by Raphael Viñoly

Perhaps the most talked about and certainly the most visible is Rafael Viñoly's 432 Park Avenue. Now the tallest residential building in New York, at 1,396 feet (425 metres), it is rapidly becoming one of the most photographed. New York-based architects Deborah Berke Partners designed the interiors.


Via by BIG

West 57th by BIG

Another prominent project marking the skyline is rental building Via 57, the pyramidal building by BIG, that is often compared to a ship's sail. Instead of the standard stepped-back wedding cake top, BIG cut a courtyard in the middle of the tower, an entirely new take on the city's zoning requirements for height and massing. A camera mounted to a drone captured footage of the "courtscraper" under construction, which is due to open this year.


611 West 56th Street by Álvaro Siza

611 West 56th Street, New York by Álvaro Siza

Nearby, Pritzker Prize winner Álvaro Siza will be making his US debut on West 56th Street with a 35-storey residential tower overlooking the Hudson River. Only one detail image has been released showing a gridded, stone-covered facade.


The Bryant by David Chipperfield

The Bryant by David Chipperfield in New York

A similar language of articulated gridded elevations is being deployed by David Chipperfield for his 34-storey tower overlooking Bryant Park in Midtown Manhattan. His building is being clad in terrazzo.


160 Leroy by Herzog & de Meuron

160 Leroy Residence by Herzog and de Meuron

Farther downtown Herzog & de Meuron is working on a three projects. Developed by Ian Schrager, 170 LeRoy features a curving facade to maximise views of the Hudson River. The 19-storey building will contain 49 apartments.


Chrystie Street by Herzog & de Meuron and John Pawson

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On the Lower East Side, Herzog & de Meuron is working on 215 Chrystie, a 28-storey combined hotel and condo building, with interiors by John Pawson. The building's concrete frame with slanted vertical supports will be left exposed.


56 Leonard Street by Herzog & de Meuron

56 Leonard Street by Herzog & de Meuron

In Tribeca, the firm is completing 56 Leonard Street, a 60-storey tower with rooms that cantilever from the core, earning it frequent comparisons to a stack of Jenga blocks.


100 East 53rd Street by Foster + Partners

Foster's One Hundred East Fifty Third Street residential skyscraper

Foster + Partners have unveiled designs for a super-skinny tower on East 53rd Street with a pleated glass facade. The 63-storey tower will contain 93 residences and will sit adjacent to Seagram Building, the modern landmark tower designed by Mies van der Rohe.


53W53 by Jean Nouvel

53W53 by Jean Nouvel

Across on West 53rd Street, Jean Nouvel's 53W53 will rise immediately adjacent to the Museum of Modern Art and will include three levels of MoMA galleries in its base.


565 Broome Street  by Renzo Piano

Soho Tower by Renzo Piano

Renzo Piano's 25-storey Soho Tower will be his first residential project in Manhattan with 115 condos. The facades will feature curved glass corners, and the building will include a pool and fitness centre, and ground-floor retail shops. Piano has also unveiled designs for a residential tower in Miami.


Elizabeth Street by Tadao Ando

152 Elizabeth Street by Tadao Ando

Nearby, Tadao Ando's seven-storey concrete and glass building at 152 Elizabeth Street will have seven units, ranging from two to four bedrooms with floor-to-ceiling windows and a green wall in the lobby. New York-based Gabellini Sheppard Associates is designing the interiors.


Cast Iron House by Shigeru Ban

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Shigeru Ban has added two penthouses and designed the interiors for a historic building in Lower Manhattan called Cast Iron House. The entire historic facade was removed and restored and a new modern interior architecture was inserted into the building.


475 West 18th Street by SHoP

475 West 18th Street by SHoP

New York-based SHoP Architects has designed an 18-storey timber tower, 475 West 18th Street, in the Chelsea neighbourhood. It will be the first all-wood tall building in the city.


West 57th Street Tower by SHoP

West 57th Street tower by SHoP

SHoP is working on a tower at 111 West 57th Street with glass and terra-cotta cladding. The firm is also working on Brooklyn's first supertall tower, which is expect to rise 1,000 feet over King's County.


Jardim by Isay Weinfeld

Jardim, New York by Isay Weinfeld

Also in Chelsea, Brazilian architect Isay Weinfeld is designing an 11-storey project called the Jardim, the Portuguese word for garden. The all-concrete building will include planters built into the facade. It will be located on West 27th Street near the High Line.


520 West 28th Street by Zaha Hadid

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Zaha Hadid's 520 West 28th Street condo, which overlooks the High Line, features curved cantilevered balconies and boasts a $50 million (£33 million) penthouse.