Glass has become the go-to external cladding material for the majority of today’s skyscrapers.
While New York defined the modern skyline in the early 20th Century, recent years have
seen glazed facades proliferate and begin to dominate the city's skyline.
Despite maximising views and allowing natural light to penetrate deep into a structure, the
rate at which we are now building glass skyscrapers has some to begin to view these structures
as indistinct and repetitive, adding little to the city’s built fabric.
In response, a handful of architects are now working on a range of projects that pay homage
to the city's history while reintroducing materials and characteristics from the early 20th Century.
From striking terracotta facades to soaring vaulted arches, these projects are bringing
New York’s classic architecture into the modern age.
Set to become one of the tallest buildings in West Soho, Greenwich West blends 20th-century
French design with a classic New York loft feel.
Moving away from a uniformed profile, the tower rises 30 storeys and features a number
of setbacks that nod to some of the city's most iconic buildings while creating ample
terraces across the building's facade.
Designed by French architectural firm Loci Anima, Greenwich West’s art-deco design
pays homage to the surrounding area’s industrial heritage with a facade of custom-made Belgian
bricks and pewter glazed window frames.
With 170 residences, the tower is crowned with an amenity-filled rooftop terrace featuring
multiple lounges that overlook downtown and the Hudson River.
Located in Manhattan’s NoMad district - between Madison and Park Avenues - the Rose Hill development
brings old-world luxury and charm into the 21st Century.
Commissioned by the Rockefeller Group, the tower shares many similarities with Rockefeller
Center, the first project developed by the organisation during the 1930s.
The art-deco structure has been designed by CentraRuddy, the firm behind a number of other
classically designed towers in New York including the Walker Tower and 45 Broad Street.
Rising 45 storeys, the towers exterior harks back to the 1920s and 30s with a striking
bronze-toned facade that intricately frames the building’s large windows.
When completed, the detail of the building’s exterior will be further enhanced with decorative
lighting displays around the base and summit of the tower.
Though it completed in 2016, 30 Park Place could easily be mistaken for a skyscraper
built during the boom years of the 1920s.
Designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects, the summit of the structure is a minimalistic
tribute to the art-deco towers of the early 20th-century.
Blending modern practices with classical aesthetics, 30 Park Place’s facade uses precast concrete
panels to mimic the limestone that adorned some of the city’s most iconic towers,
like the Empire State Building.
The 82-storey mixed-use tower was designed to maximise views of the downtown area with
large bay windows protruding out from the structure.
Located in the prestigious Carnegie Hill neighbourhood on Manhattan's Upper East Side, 180 East 88th
Street is one of the most striking examples of New York’s return to historical aesthetics.
Inspired by architecture of the boom years, the tower features a series of elegant arches
both internally and across its facade.
Offering just 48 residences, the structure pays homage to the lost art of high-rise masonry
construction employing more than 600,000 hand-made bricks to create its distinctive facade.
New York’s emerging “Billionaire’s Row” district features many multiple examples of
this emerging classical trend.
220 Central Park South, designed by the same architect as 30 Park Place, features many
trademark characteristics of the architect's previous work, namely a tapered art-deco summit
and a limestone facade.
Meanwhile 111W57 will feature a striking terracotta and bronze facade that is designed to catch
the sun as it moves across the sky creating a vibrant display on the skyline.
Though it was completed before this trend began to emerge, the impressive 432 Park Avenue
was among the first modern skyscrapers to move away from a fully glazed façade, opting
to keep its concrete exoskeleton exposed as a distinct feature of its design.
While many had feared New York’s iconic art deco skyscrapers might someday become
lost among a sea of gleaming glass towers, it seems that - even as the city moves forward-
there will always be the will to relive and revive the heritage that first gave New York
its status.
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