In a new article, KPF President James von Klemperer, alongside other project leaders, discusses the Fifth Avenue supertall and its place on the famed New York skyline.
The mixed-use tower, currently under construction on the corner of 43rd Street and Fifth Avenue, reaches 1,002 feet and offers a modern interpretation of Midtown Manhattan’s stepped skyscrapers through its refined façade. “I think all tall buildings, especially, have a kind of responsibility that goes beyond the program and the site,” says Jamie. “Because once you emerge into the skyline in a significant way, which this building will, the skyline is almost viewed, I think, by us New Yorkers as public property. If you put up a terrible profile on the skyline, everybody has to look at it from uptown, downtown, Long Island, New Jersey. And it’s very subjective, but we feel we should be doing something to grace the skyline, not to give it some defect.”
Led by developer Rabina Properties, built by Suffolk Construction, and designed by KPF with interiors by Charles & Co., 520 Fifth Avenue is adorned with large arched windows and staggered setbacks, allowing for generous outdoor spaces and striking city views. Contributing a mix of uses to the famous retail thoroughfare and office district, the tower comprises several floors of boutique office space, Moss, a members’ club, and 98 luxury residential units with exclusive amenity access.
Read the full article here.