Russian architecture studio Meganom has created a facade system comprising more than 200,000 laser-cut aluminium elements for its in-progress 262 Fifth Avenue skyscraper in Manhattan.
The facade system features panels clad with rows of aluminium bricks, with their use most prominent on a shear wall on one side of the structure. This is almost completely covered with the specially fabricated wall system.
According to Bogdan Peric, chief architect for the project's developer, Five Points, the bricks were chosen for their scale, making the monumental building more relatable to humans upon closer inspection.
"They work to pull people nearer to the building," said Peric.
"When you get closer to the brick, you see that its scale is very domestic."
In order to create the highly complex facade, the architecture studio worked with an Italian manufacturer to create four distinctly patterned bricks that were then mirrored, so that there are eight designs in total.
When arrayed over the building's facade, the bricks glimmer, giving the impression of rippling water.
According to the team, they are functional as well, with the grooves in the bricks allowing water to pass down the facade when it rains. Each aspect was anodised to prevent rusting.
With its rippling appearance, the skyscraper's facade was designed to provide a point of interest for the city. The glass facades on its north-facing sky were designed to reflect an adjacent church and the nearby Empire State Building.
The majority of the 860-foot-tall (262-meter-tall) building is clad in the material, and at points in the facade with expansive windows, the bricks wrap around.
Some elements of the facade will be clad in photovoltaic panels, such as the building's externalised core.
Spread over 26 storeys, the skyscraper will host 26 luxury residences designed by Danish studio Nord Architects.
Its extremely skinny form has been remarked upon, with the tower's base totalling only 2,211 square feet (205 square meters).
The tower topped out in 2024, and a majority of its height is now fully clad, with work progressing on the open-air sky deck on the top of the tower, which features a massive oculus clad with 24-karat gold.
It is the only skyscraper of its height in the immediate vicinity. It has faced some criticism for obscuring the views of the Empire State Building from Madison Square Park.
Other skyscrapers in the area include a beaux-arts informed skyscraper by KPF.
The photography is courtesy of Meganom/Five Points.