foster + partners: 50 united nations plaza residential tower, new york

’50 united nations plaza’ by foster + partners, new york city, united statesimage © dbox / foster + partners

english practice foster + partners has begun construction on the ’50 united nations plaza,’ their first luxury residential tower built in the united states.the 44-storey tower, expected to open at the end of 2014, was developed by zeckendorf development and global holdings and will provide valuable views of the manhattan skyline, east river and UN headquarters. based on three extruded slender volumes, the scale of the project responds to the immediate skyline with a multifaceted facade that breaks the otherwise continuous shape down to an appropriate human scale, while still emphasizing its height through the many thin steel rings that delineate each floor. deep windows between the forms extend views from each residence and bring in more light into the deeper spaces. the marble, granite and wood-detailed lobby is designed as an extension to the program enjoyed by the residents complete with a basement spa and green courtyards, complimented by the rooftop infinity pool. more than half of the building is solid greatly reducing solar gain along with the highly insulated glazing, while utilizing of recycled materials helps reduce the use of unnecessary resources.

architect norman foster summarizes the project:’50 united nations plaza is destined to become an international landmark, defined by its modern architecture and renowned location. this neighborhood is of great personal significance to my brother arthur and i, as our maternal grandfather trygve lie was the first un secretary general, and our paternal grandfather assembled the land upon which the un secretariat building now stands.’

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