Dezeen Magazine

Waterline Square

Viñoly, Meier and KPF design luxury towers for Manhattan waterfront

American firms Rafael Viñoly Architects, Richard Meier & Partners, and Kohn Pedersen Fox have conceived a trio of high-end residential buildings that will overlook New York's Hudson River.

Encompassing nearly five acres (two hectares), the Waterline Square project is rising on one of the last undeveloped waterfront sites in Manhattan's Upper West Side district. The buildings will house a mix of rental apartments and luxury condominiums.

Waterline Square

Located on Riverside Boulevard, between West 59th and 61st Streets, the towers are just a few blocks north of Via 57 West, the "courtscraper" by Bjarke Ingels Group that opened earlier this year.

Renderings show a trio of faceted, glass-sheathed towers with angled tops.

One Waterline Square by Meier will rise 443 feet (135 metres), while Two Waterline Square by KPF will climb to 450 feet (137 metres). Three Waterline Square by Viñoly, is slated to rise 372 feet (113 metres).

Waterline Square

"The glassy towers complement one another in their articulated facades, outdoor spaces and faceted crowns, and collectively create a bold architectural statement set against the backdrop of the New York City skyline," the team said.

The residential towers are oriented around a three-acre (1.2 hectare) park that "gestures" toward the nearby Riverside Park and Hudson River Park, which stretch along the waterway separating Manhattan from New Jersey.

Waterline Square

Designed by local studio Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects, the Waterline park will contain groves of trees, walking paths, a great lawn, a playground and water features.

In addition to the park, the development will offer "sports, leisure and lifestyle" amenity spaces totalling 100,000 square feet (9,290 square metres).

Waterline Square

The project is part of the larger Riverside South masterplan, initiated decades ago by several civic associations, in partnership with real-estate developer and now US president-elect Donald Trump.

"Waterline Square is a rare opportunity to complete the development of the last remaining parcels of this important waterfront masterplan," the team said.

The plan called for transforming 77 acres (31 hectares) of waterfront land, which formerly was a rail yard, into a residential neighbourhood.

Waterline Square

Part of the plan was developed, with several condo towers constructed there in the 1990s. Trump's name was removed from three of the Riverside towers last week following his controversial election to office, reported the Daily News.

Trump and his investors sold the undeveloped portion to two developers, Extell and Carlyle, in 2005, according to the New York Times. They proposed a mixed-use community called Riverside Center, which was masterplanned by French architect Christian de Portzamparc. The scheme received city approvals in 2010 but was only partly constructed.

Waterline Square

American developer General Investment and Development Companies (GID) purchased the remaining parcels in 2015 and began construction of Waterline Square that year. Completion is scheduled for 2019.

Waterline Square is one of several major developments now under construction in Manhattan. Others include the massive Hudson Yards, which features a 52-storey skyscraper by KPF, and Manhattan West by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.