December 28, 2015 09:00AM
By Kerry Barger
Clockwise from top left: 520 West 28th Street, the World Trade Center complex, 475 West 18th Street and 303 East 44th Street
Let’s face it — nothing seems to drum up more excitement for an upcoming project than a shiny new rendering. Like a placeholder on the skyline, it makes it easier to imagine the hottest new buildings on the horizon.
As the city gears up for the next round of buildings, The Real Deal took a look at some of the most interesting renderings to drop in 2015.
A rendering of 550 Madison by DBOX
550 Madison Avenue
Though the building itself isn’t new, Robert A.M. Stern brings 550 Madison Avenue back to life with the first look at Chetrit Group’s Sony Building conversion. A quick glance at the project’s offering plan will bring you straight back from this dream sequence though — the cheapest unit will ask $9.85 million, with the priciest pad asking a whopping $150 million.
A rendering of Two World Trade Center by DBOX
Two World Trade Center
Danish starchitect Bjarke Ingels took several steps in a different direction when he replaced Sir Norman Foster at the final installment of the World Trade Center complex. The tower, which is being developed by Silverstein Properties, consists of a series of blocks stacked on top of one another, creating outdoor terraces on each of the building’s seven tiers.
A rendering of 45 East 22nd Street by Williams New York
45 East 22nd Street
Williams New York went full rainbow for the latest rendering of Ian Schrager’s 45 East 22nd Street, which will be the tallest tower between Midtown and Lower Manhattan when it tops out. The Kohn Pedersen Fox-designed condo building, which is seen soaking up the sunset next to One Madison, grows wider as it gets taller, placing more sellable square footage on its priciest floors.
A rendering of 520 West 28th Street by Hayes Davidson
520 West 28th Street
Starchitect Zaha Hadid is shooting for the stars with a futuristic design for 520 West 28th Street. The price tag for condo project’s top pad is pretty out of this world, too — Related Cos. is asking $50 million for the triplex penthouse, which boasts its own private elevator, fireplace and rooftop terrace.
A rendering of the Dream Hotel Times Square by UAP North America
Dream Hotel Times Square
It’s all just a Dream Hotel in the first-ever look at Sharif El-Gamal’s glassy, 29-story project. The bluish-silver metal screen, which separates the hotel’s retail portion from its adjoining tower, is meant to mimic fabric in an ode to the area’s fashion-rich history.
A rendering of 475 West 18th Street by SHoP Architects
475 West 18th Street
If the future is made of glass and steel, the developers of 475 West 18th Street in Chelsea haven’t heard about it. The Chelsea residential condo building will be constructed entirely of wood, the first of its kind of New York City and just one of two timber towers rising in the United States.
A rendering of 340 Flatbush Avenue Extension by SHoP Architects
340 Flatbush Avenue Extension
At first glance, the Chetrit Group and JDS Development’s SHoP Architect-designed tower could be considered a skinny, supertall candidate for Billionaires’ Row. The future tallest tower in Brooklyn will stand hundreds of feet higher than any other structure in the borough, and have a height-to-width ratio of 12:1.
A rendering of 303 East 44th Street by ODA New York
303 East 44th Street
Picture a piece of gum stuck between the sidewalk and shoe, or a ligament stretched during movement, and you’ll get the crux of Triangle Assets’ 303 East 44th Street tower. Eleven units will have access to these 16-foot-tall gaps, which ODA New York founder Eran Chen describes as “sculptured gardens.”
A rendering of Dock 72 by S9 Architecture
Dock 72, Brooklyn Navy Yard
Wegmans opening its first New York City location wasn’t the only major news to come out of the Brooklyn Navy Yard this year. S9 Architecture released the first rendering for Rudin Management and Boston Properties’ office building, dubbed Dock 72. Coworking space provider WeWork plans to anchor the startup-focused building, leasing 220,000 square feet.
A predictive rendering of Manhattan’s skyline in 2030 by Visualhouse (Click to enlarge)
Manhattan skyline, 2030
It was just last year that CityRealty released this rendering of Manhattan’s changing cityscape, with towers like 111 West 57th Street and the Central Park Tower claiming space on the skyline. Now, creative design firm Visualhouse dreamed up its own version of the future. The agency’s latest creation depicts what the skies above Manhattan might look like with the addition of megadevelopment Hudson Yards, ultra-luxury skyscrapers on 57th Street and even the Durst Organization’s massive rental tetrahedron.
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