Official Name: 56 Leonard Street
Type: building
Status: Under Construction
Country: United States
State: New York
City: New York City
Street Address: 56 Leonard Street (Map)
Building Function: residential
Structural Material: concrete
Start of Construction: 2008
Completion: 2016
Official Website: 56 Leonard
Figures
Height: Architectural: 250.2 meter / 821 feet
Height: To Tip: 250.2 meter / 821 feet
Floors Above Ground: 60
No. of Apartments: 146
Companies Involved
Developer: Gerald D Hines Interests
Architect: Herzog & de Meuron Architekten
Structural Engineer: WSP Cantor Seinuk
Several blocks to the north of 30 Park Place, Downtown’s other colossal residential building is also making headway; 56 Leonard’s vertical profile is verging on impressive, as the skyscraper continues its upwards charge into the Tribeca skyline. The site’s developers are Hines and Alexico, and the architect is Herzog & de Meuron.
Looking up from the corner of Church and Leonard
56 Leonard now stands approximately 23 floors above street level, and by next month’s update, the development should pass the half-way point; it will eventually stand 821 feet and 56 stories above street level.
56 Leonard
Crane sections were delivered over the weekend, and external forms for the skyscraper were also jumped this week; the below photos come from a reader at New York Law School, which offers a fantastic vantage point over the site.
New crane sections
Viewed from New York Law School
56 Leonard’s local prominence is beginning to result in minor positive externalities, as well; the building now blocks the extremely unpleasant 33 Thomas Street from certain angles, and will soon completely dominate its aesthetically unfortunate neighbor.
33 Thomas has now disappeared from the corner of Franklin and West Broadway
The latest construction photos of 56 Leonard show progress at all levels of the tower; the superstructure continues to rise, balconies are spiraling up what’s already been built, and glass installation is underway along the first few floors. Hines and Alexico are the developers, and Herzog & de Meuron are the project’s architect.
Glass for 56 Leonard may be the most notable addition, and will ultimately define the building’s aesthetic, alongside the balconies and concrete reveals. The enormous floor to ceiling panes are extremely reflective, and when combined with light playing off the concrete, the tower’s appearance will appear to change throughout the day.
56 Leonard
Balconies are also a notable addition, and are being added in piecemeal fashion following the ascendance of the greater superstructure. While the mid-sections of 56 Leonard had initially appeared to be less exciting than the cantilevered base, that will not be the case, as the latest photos make clear; even with relatively regular floor-plates, the building will seem to shape-shift for the duration of its rise.
56 Leonard is roughly 5/8ths of the way up, having recently crossed the half-way mark. The top floors have ceilings over 17′ tall, and the uppermost levels will be just as complicated as the cantilevered base — though the new contractors seem to have a much better grip on things than the old, which should ensure a race to the finish line.
56 Leonard
Completion of the 821′ tall and 60-story tower is expected in 2016.
The other day, I was walking by, and I exclaimed: “Nice glass!” A very hot chick in front of me who was wearing shorts and a thong turned around and said: “Thanks!”’ She clearly misunderstood me, but she was smokin’.
You’ve got to hand it to Hines, this is without a doubt the most original and iconic tower to be erected since 15 CPW, and everyone knows how that beauty turned out. Perhaps they can run a clinic for upcoming Developers titled “NYC Style - Don’t show up without it”
56 Leonard is racing upwards once more, after the tower passed a mechanical level earlier this month. The skyscraper is nearly at the point where ceiling heights see a dramatic increase, and when those floors begin, the structure’s apparent height will soar even faster, topping-out by early next year.
56 Leonard and the World Trade Center, with 30 Park Place also climbing at rear
Currently, the building stands 36 floors and approximately 500 feet above the streets below, roughly 2/3rds of the way to its final height of 821 feet and 60 stories. Conveniently, floor numbers have recently been posted to the side of the external elevator shaft.
The tower’s position on the Lower Manhattan skyline continues to evolve, and it is approximately the same height as the unsightly tower at 33 Thomas, one block to the southeast. While Herzog & de Meuron’s signature Manhattan project will not stand as tall as One World Trade Center or even 30 Park Place, its position at the edge of the Financial District’s urban forest will lend it ample distinction.
Glass is also beginning to cover more of the building, and the simplicity of the middle floors is now evident; the windows follow a simple rectangular envelope above the cantilevered levels of the lower base, with the mass broken up by dozens upon dozens of cast-concrete balconies. The overall effect becomes more impressive considering the skyscraper’s scale, and it is increasingly subject to gawking from New Yorkers and tourists alike.
Hines and Alexico are developing, and move-ins are expected next year. Sales are nearly complete, with only two penthouses — priced at $34.5 and $17.75 million – remaining on the market.
