URBAN DESIGN CONCEPTS

• Promote social interaction through density of public and private uses, reinforced by redundant circulation
• Integrate the project with the High Line Park and expand the green experience of the park throughout the complex
• Form an urban gateway to the northern sector of the High Line by framing the park with distinctive facades
• Open views onto the High Line through the use of bent exterior surfaces
• Establish the project as a natural presence in the existing urban land- scape through use of a variety of scales and height datums

Bent glass facades of the residential tower and the hotel slab – the “masks” worn by the two facades facing each other - frame the High Line and create views into and out of the park.

The project is comprised of three basic elements - a four story commercial base, a 25 story residential tower and a 14 story hotel.

The commercial base surrounds the High Line and is organized around a through-block pedestrian passage defined by the High Line structure. In the center of the site, a grand stair and an elevator encased in a glass cylinder link the commercial arcade with the park above. Outdoor café terraces are located alongside the park.

The condominium apartments are laid out with corner living spaces and open kitchens, allowing for maximum exposure and a loft-like experience. At the top, a shared roof garden and indoor common rooms offer commanding views of the city and Hudson River.

The 175 room five-star hotel is designed with a variety of room sizes, large baths and in some cases, open balconies.The hotel is equipped with a spa, conference facilities, lap pool, nightclub, tea garden and several restaurants and bars. In warm weather, a rooftop bar can be set up on a large south-facing terrace; from there, one can see almost the entire length of the High Line.

The project flanks and runs below the High Line and is threaded around existing low buildings. At the center of the site where the public stair terminates, the east and west sites connect to the High Line to provide access and cross circulation

The site is located at the original shoreline of Manhattan Island. The land is excavated down three levels, a "bathtub" is constructed and the HighLine is underpinned with new foundations.

Services are located at the lowest level. 100,000 SF of commercial space is distributed under and around the High Line to create a vibrant public zone. Above are located the hotel and residential towers, each of which has public space at the top.

Exterior surfaces are glass, aluminum and exposed concrete. The facades flanking the High Line are treated as planar surfaces pulled away from the main anchoring mass to create corner balconies. The remaining facades are treated as framed infill to give the overall form a sense of strength and stability. In the hotel and residential units, zones of fritted glass allow light in while providing privacy.

Roof gardens are located at setback levels to pull the green space of the High Line Park up through the building.

HIGH LINE PARK AND ARCADE

The four-level commercial base surrounds the High Line and is designed to act as a “collector” of the numerous program elements - stores, restaurants, bars, spa and meeting facilities, as well as hotel amenities, building lobbies and associated service functions.

A through-block pedestrian shopping passage is the artery that runs through the base at the ground level; it is defined by the riveted steel plate of the High Line structure and is flanked by skylights bringing natural light to the interior. In the center of the site, at 28th Street, a grand straight-run stair and an elevator encased in a glass cylinder link the commercial arcade with the park above.A spiral stair provides backup circulation, descending to the lowest commercial level below grade.The glass cylinder marks a virtual cross-axis that allows pedestrian traffic to penetrate the site in the east-west direction, from the hotel through to Tenth Avenue.

While the main entrances to the residential tower and the hotel lobby are on Tenth Avenue and 29th Street respectively, both buildings can also be accessed directly from the park and from the passage below. Outdoor café terraces line the third level, just above the park, and the hotel pool and bar open up to their own south-facing terrace which is also accessible from the hotel lobby.

THROUGH-BLOCK ARCADE

Visualization by Leo Torrocha, LHPA

STATISTICS

• Hotel - 175 units, 14 stories
• Residential - 175 units, 25 stories
• Commercial - 100,000 SF
• Parking - 51 valet spaces
• Overall area - 350,000 SF

PROJECT TEAM

• Developer - High Line Development Group LLC
• Architect - Lee Harris Pomeroy Architects PC, with Paul Gates, lead designer
• Project Team - Bogdan Domaradzki, Emily Mechesney, Victor Schwartz, Leo Torrocha
• Structural - Weidlinger Associates,Inc.
• Mechanical - Lehr Consultants International LLP, George Langer Associates Consulting Engineers
• Geotechnical - Muser Rutledge Consulting Engineers
• Vertical Transportation - VDA
• Environmental - GZA Geoenvironmental Inc.
• LEED - Viridian Energy & Environmental LLC