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SHoP Architects completes 111 West 57th Street which is the world’s skinniest skyscraper in Manhattan

111 West 57th Street
©Dronalist

This 1428 ft tall skyscraper is the world’s skinniest tower and also the second tallest residential building in the western hemisphere region. With a height to width ratio of 24:1, US studio SHoP Architects completed this supertall skyscraper named 111 West 57th Street in New York City. 

It is located at Manhattan’s Billionaires’ Row and ready for the residents to move in with the final exterior cladding executed last week. The construction of the tower was announced in 2013 and was in focus since then for valid reasons but in 2017 due to financial reasons, the construction was stalled and was finally started in 2019.

111 West 57th Street
©David Sundberg

The 111 West 57th Street tower is developed by JDS Development Group, Property Markets Group, and Spruce Capital Partners and the interiors of the tower are executed by New York-based firm Studio Sofield. 111 West 57th Street comprises two structures: the landmarked Steinway building which houses Steinway & Sons piano company designed by Warren and Wetmore in 1925 and the other is the newly conceived skinniest tower. This tower is a residential skyscraper with one residence per floor constituting a total of 46 full-floor and duplex units and the 14 on the adjacent landmarked Steinway building adding up to bring the total to 60.

111 West 57th Street
©Evan Joseph

The design of the building on the south side tapers into a flat surface towards the peak. The east and west facades of this skinniest tower are clad in terracotta tiles with 22 different sets of contours creating a shadow and light effect from the city scale. The glass curtain walls incorporated in the 111 West 57th Street building face central park in the north and lower Manhattan to the south and are accentuated with brass mullions running horizontally and vertically. 

The 111 West 57th Street tower uses the highest-strength concrete in the world at 14,000psi combined with over 5.5 million feet of rebar. The design also includes an 82-foot two-lane swimming pool with private cabanas, a separate sauna, steam, and treatment rooms along with other luxurious amenities such as a double-height fitness center with a mezzanine terrace, a residents’ lounge with an expansive terrace, and a private dining room.

111 West 57th Street
©David Sundberg

The Principal architect at SHoP architects Gregg Pasquarelli has described how the team was focused on the conception that had never been done before and sets it apart from the usual notion of skyscrapers in New York City. 111 West 57th Street is not only the skinniest tower but also adds a new icon to the skyline of the city.

Written by Aastha Trivedi

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