Manhattan West
designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
The completion of Two Manhattan West marks the latest phase in the development of a New York City office and residential complex by {tag:pracownie}. The nearly 190,000-square-foot skyscraper, which meets LEED Gold standards, joins One Manhattan West, completed in 2019, as one of the project's two largest buildings. Both on the skyline and at street level, the two skyscrapers form a gateway to the complex and the western extension of the downtown urban fabric.
Urban planning and the transformation of Manhattan West
Manhattan West, which dates back to the 1990s, was developed by Brookfield Properties as a 650,000-square-foot mixed-use project built over active railroad tracks with minimal land access. It's an all-new complex of buildings, flanked by Ninth and Tenth Avenues and West 31st and West 33rd Streets planned by SOM as part of a broader revitalization of Manhattan's West Midtown neighborhood. The plan calls for six buildings - four designed by SOM, and all but one of them engineered by SOM - that bring two acres of public space, offices, apartments, hotels and retail to a previously blighted area.
A cityscape with two tall, reflective glass skyscrapers surrounded by smaller buildings and clear skies.
Photo credit: Dave Burk © SOM
New transportation links between Penn Station and Hudson Yards
Atthe heart of this project is the public space. The buildings are arranged around a series of different plazas that may have been created by the construction of a 2.6-acre platform that covers the railroad tracks leading to Penn Station. The complex's central plaza is surrounded by 21,000 square feet of retail space, creating a dynamic gathering space for residents, office workers and travelers from Penn Station and Moynihan Train Hall. The central plaza transforms West 32nd Street into a public space, creating a series of connections to West 31st Street, West 33rd Street and Tenth Avenue. This makes Manhattan West an accessible and welcoming place for all visitors, while creating a much-needed east-west route connecting the interchange center to the High Line, Hudson Yards to the riverfront.
An urban intersection with heavy pedestrian and vehicle traffic in front of Moynihan Train Hall, with modern skyscrapers in the background
Photo credit: Dave Burk © SOM
Glass facades in energy-efficient buildings
Manhattan West's One and Two skyscrapers, are clad in high-performance glass, designed to reflect as much light as possible. At ground level, they enhance public space by extending the central plaza with additional space both indoors and outdoors. Thanks to a glazed three-story lobby, pedestrian open space can be viewed from the buildings. The location of the skyscrapers deep on Ninth Avenue also allows the lobby to be connected to the public plaza.
Manhattan West at dusk with a large glass entrance, abstract art inside and small trees in front
Photo credit: Dave Burk © SOM
construction challenges and innovations
The most complex elements of the skyscrapers are hidden underground. Both buildings stand on difficult terrain above an active rail line. This required a precise combination of architectural and engineering elements. Each skyscraper is supported by a core with sloping columns on the periphery reaching foundations around the active tracks below. At One Manhattan West, the central core of the building rises from bedrock to the top floor, and the floors branch out symmetrically. At ground level, columns at the perimeter slope toward the core, reinforcing the structure and creating a column-free lobby that is clad in travertine with a dramatic expression. As in the first skyscraper at Two Manhattan West, only half of the core could make contact with the ground. Accordingly, SOM aligned the sculpted mega-columns at the edge of the building with the underground spaces between the tracks, an integrated solution that opens up the space around the street to the plaza.
An aerial view of the urban construction site next to the railroad tracks, surrounded by buildings, streets and cars
Photo credit: Dave Burk © SOM
Pendry luxury hotel
In addition to office buildings, Manhattan West is a neighborhood bustling with activity around the clock. The 23-story Pendry Hotel and the 62-story Eugene residential tower give the neighborhood a luxurious feel. Consisting of 164 rooms and suites, the Pendry features a dramatic, undulating facade of granite and glass. This innovative facade provides sustainability benefits and highlights the building's function as a hotel: the convex glass curves resemble a modern interpretation of a bay window, allowing each room to enjoy panoramic views of the city.
An urban plaza on Manhattan West at dusk, with modern buildings with glass walls in the background and people sitting on a curved designer bench
Photo credit: Dave Burk © SOM
the role of innovative architecture in creating visual harmony in urban spaces
The Eugene high-rise, which offers 844 residential units, was designed in collaboration with SLCE Architects and provides a key connection between West 31st Street and the central plaza. The project also included the renovation of two former industrial buildings - Five Manhattan West (designed by SOM and REX) and the 1913 Four Manhattan West building - which were transformed into high-end office spaces. As part of this upgrade, a portion of the south side of Five Manhattan West was cut out. This created an elevated walkway and corridor that extends the public space to Tenth Avenue, providing direct views of the High Line and ultimately connecting Manhattan West to Hudson Yards. With these treatments, the Manhattan West complex attracts a variety of users.
An urban space with trees, outdoor seating areas and people walking around, with modern skyscrapers in the background
Photo credit: Dave Burk © SOM
pedestrian-friendly public space
The next phase of the Midtown West development is the High Line - Moynihan Connector, which connects this part of the city to the High Line - one of the most important parks and walking trails in New York City. This 180-foot, linear park on a hill is the missing link that connects pedestrian paths from Penn Station to Hudson Yards and from the High Line to the West Village.
A busy urban intersection with a modern glass skyscraper with silver architectural details
Photo credit: Dave Burk © SOM
Brookfield's commitment to green energy
Brookfield has ambitiously committed to transforming its office to be powered by zero-emission energy. Nearly 560,000 square feet of office space in the Manhattan West complex, including One and Two Manhattan West, uses renewable electricity from hydroelectric power plants located in northern New York State. This solution helps reduce direct carbon emissions by more than 80%.
Aerial view of a modern courtyard with a central seating area, surrounded by multi-story buildings with green grass roofs
Photo credit: Dave Burk © SOM
Greenery and stormwater management systems at Manhattan West
Brookfield planted 400 times more plants in the plaza than required by city regulations. The greenery at Manhattan West, designed by James Corner Field Operations, consists of native species that have been strategically selected for minimal maintenance and low water use. In an effort to conserve water , rainwater is collected on site from the buildings and neighboring green spaces, then stored and reused for irrigation. There are beehives on the roofs of the complex to support crop pollination. Manhattan West will become the first certified campus under the Rethink initiative, where a group of restaurants, food suppliers, vendors and businesses will be empowered to work toward sustainability, fight food excess and improve food security.
A bird's-eye view of a modern city square surrounded by curved buildings with rooftop seating and green spaces
Photo credit: Dave Burk © SOM
The completion of the Manhattan West project marks another milestone in the decades-long effort to transform Manhattan's Far West Side. In this rapidly changing neighborhood, this new office and residential complex is an interesting site that is also a vital link between business Midtown, the Penn Station complex and Hudson Yards.
Modern skyscrapers with glass facades and illuminated interiors at dusk
Photo credit: Dave Burk © SOM
Elaborated: Natalia Ledzianowska
Illustrations provided courtesy of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill studio
