Project Description
CONCEPT // CREASE // CODE
The 497 GW Project, located on the edge of Soho, has a new 11-story glass & steel structure folding over a renovated six-story brick warehouse from 1915. The NYC building code has been re-interpreted here; the horizontal plane of the traditional urban fabric is questioned by the insertion of a diagonal surface that bifurcates the facade plane. It integrates the strict building setback codes into the new folded vertical landscape of the glass [west] facade. The crease as mediation and the glass inflections as spatial device allow for slippage between interior urbanism and urban privacy. The crystalline facets of the façade allow for the façade to move away from a separative 2D membrane into a 3d glass zone to be occupied and inhabited.
“Dubbeldam’s folds are philosophically as well as visually grounded….[She] crystallizes urban complexity within the discrete architectural object.”- Herbert Muschamp, The New York Times
SMART LOFT BUILDING // PERFORMANCE
The new building’s innovative angled glass facade was custom designed and one of the first 3D parametric models. A performance analysis resulted in the differentiation between the façade’s vertical [steel] components and the horizontal [aluminum] mullions, thus optimizing the folded façade’s performance and minimizing costs and effort. The further analysis of the façade’s structure led to the decision to actually bend the glass panels to minimize forces and create completely transparent seams. The 3d folded glass façade is a first in parametric design, electronic communication of 3D computer drawings between manufacturers in Barcelona, Hong-Kong and Brooklyn enabled the manufacturers to fabricate the custom parts straight from 3D files [file to factory]. This eliminated mistakes, resulted in a perfect fit, and optimized a fast manufacturing & installation process.
The building’s 25 lofts offer an open loft plan with integrated systems and amenities. The guest apartment, gym, spa, pool and screening room create a luxurious living environment on the edge of Manhattan. Each loft has been wired for music, wireless, satellite TV and recessed heating and cooling systems. Passive solar energy from the solar glass on the west façade reduces heating and cooling costs. The large modern open-plan lofts offer an abundance of exterior spaces, balconies and roof terraces, situated on both west and east facades. Residents can thus enjoy sunsets over the Hudson River from the comfort of their living space.