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June 5, 2008
Gehry Designs NYC's Tallest Residential Tower
Architectural Record
Starchitect condos? Old news. Now real estate companies are tapping high-profile architects to design rental apartment buildings. In Lower Manhattan, Forest City Ratner Companies and Frank Gehry, FAIA—the team behind the controversial and recently downsized Atlantic Yards development in Brooklyn—are erecting what will become New York City’s tallest residential dwelling, Beekman Tower. Tenants will start taking occupancy in fall 2010, distinguishing the project as Gehry’s first completed residential tower.
Wonder why most people head for the exits when they see an architect coming? Check it out:
While speaking at the construction site in late May, Gehry told reporters architectural pluralism is “chaotic, but should be treated as a virtue instead of a negative.” In that spirit, he has designed an exuberant skyscraper that will add flair to the respected downtown landscape.
At the foot of the tower is a highly contextual, 100-foot-tall podium clad in terracotta-colored brick that Gehry describes as “laidback, quiet, simple”; this base will be punctuated by a more sculptural porte-cochere canopy that also forms the ceiling of the building’s lobby.
NoLandGrab: The article misses the point about condo-vs-rentals. The reason that the Beekman tower will be rental is that Ratner knows that the market won't support another round of luxury starchitect condos.
Additionally, calling Atlantic Yards "downsized" proves that Forest City Ratner's cynical pr campaign worked. [Ratner increased the size of the project before later reducing it in "response to criticism."]
Posted by lumi at June 5, 2008 4:34 AM