Sky (skyscraper)
Sky, also known as 605 West 42nd Street, is a mixed-use building in Midtown Manhattan developed by the Moinian Group. The 61-story tower contains luxury rental residences designed by the Rockwell Group, ranging from studios to two bedrooms and includes the Vue Penthouse Collection.[2] Sky features over 70,000 square feet of amenity space, mostly operated by Life Time Fitness, which includes a multi-level gym, water club and LifeSpa, lap pool, professional size basketball court (designed by Carmelo Anthony),[3] two outdoor zero edge pools, and an outdoor park. The building also contains retail space, in part, occupied by the Manhattan Volvo car dealership. It was designed by Goldstein, Hill & West Architects, and at 676 feet (206 m), it is the 79th tallest building in New York.
Sky | |
---|---|
Sky seen in March 2017. | |
General information | |
Status | Complete |
Type | Residential |
Completed | 2016 |
Height | |
Roof | 676 ft (206 m)[1] |
Technical details | |
Floor count | 61[1] |
Lifts/elevators | 13 |
Design and construction | |
Architect | Goldstein, Hill & West Architects |
Developer | Moinian Group |
Structural engineer | WSP |
History and construction
The Moinian Group purchased the site in 2005.[4] It originally held a gas station and a parking facility. The project first broke ground in 2008, but construction was stalled due to the recession from 2009 until 2012, and the project was dubbed, like several nearby developments, a "zombie project" because Moinan retained ownership of the site but did not continue development.[5] Activity resumed with a redesign by David Rockwell, replacing the original by Costas Kondylis.[5] Construction began again in 2013, and was completed in 2016.[6] Tishman Realty & Construction was the firm responsible for the construction of the building.[7]
In 2015, residents of neighboring building Atelier filed suit against Moinian because access to their pool and other amenities had been blocked off and were now only accessible by walking outside and going into the Sky building's Sky House. They claim they were promised reciprocal access to all of Sky's amenities, which have yet to occur.[8]
The building of Sky cost approximately $850 million.[4] SL Green owns a minority stake in the building.[9]
In 2020, Sky received criticism by local publication W42st for staff cuts that resulted in garbage pile ups, long wait times for maintenance, and security issues. One resident is quoted as saying "Management is jeopardizing tenant safety. Homeless men have tried to attack tenants, steal packages, and sleep in our building stairwell. The layoffs exacerbated an already weak security system, while making living conditions intolerable. Garbage piles up in trash rooms, while routine maintenance takes weeks."[10]
Usage
Sky has the most rentals of any building in any borough of New York, with 1,175 units.[11] The top few floors contain the penthouses.[7] The basketball court has attracted many athletes to the building. Notable residents have included Nina Agdal,[12] New York Knicks' starting players, Kristaps Porzingis and Sasha Vujačić, along with others.[13]
Art
Sky features art from world renowned artists such as Yayoi Kusama and Günther Förg. A Kusama bronze pumpkin stands tall in the center of the Infinity Loop Motor Court, while two "Infinite Net” pieces hang above the fireplaces in the lobby. Kusama's bronze pumpkins were exhibited in London at Victoria Miro in 2014 for the first time and along with her other artwork, they have also been displayed in several countries.[14] Six "Lead Paintings" from Förg line the wall adjacent to the mail gallery. These works, installed in a line to create a frieze-like effect, encourage viewers to consider the space between them, and the surrounding environment, as part of the extended field of painting. In June 2017, SKY ART NY opened.[15] SKY ART is a temporary nonprofit art center created to present the exhibition Ugo Rondinone: I <3 John Giorno, produced by Frahm & Frahm and Moinian Group. Versatile and ever-changing, the almost 10,000 square foot space and 30 foot high ceilings allow for the display of large-scale sculpture and site-specific installation, giving ambitious scope for a variety of curatorial projects.
As of February 2018, the space formerly hosting SKY ART has been marketed for retail occupancy.
References
- "Sky - The Skyscraper Center". Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. Retrieved March 20, 2017.
- Stathaki, Ellie (1 February 2016). "David Rockwell puts his stamp on New York's largest residential high-rise". Wallpaper. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
- Begley, Ian (29 July 2016). "Porzingis rents penthouse in same building as Carmelo's gym". ESPN. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
- Hughes, C.J (12 June 2015). "A New Manhattan Rental Designed to Feel Like a Resort". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
- Fedak, Nikolai (23 October 2013). "605 West 42nd Street: Is The 'Atelier II' Coming Back From the Dead?". YIMBY. Retrieved 17 August 2015.
- Fedak, Nikolai (24 June 2013). "Construction Update: The Atelier II". YIMBY. Retrieved 17 August 2015.
- "Largest rental development in Manhattan is topped out". Real Estate Weekly. 10 December 2014. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
- Clarke, Katherine (8 March 2016). "Moinian hit with $100M lawsuit over Atelier amenity access". The Real Deal.
- Stulberg, Ariel (9 May 2016). "SL Green buys 20% stake in Moinian's Sky tower". The Real Deal. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
- O'Brien, Phil (3 September 2020). "Complaints SKY high at luxury building". W42st. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
- Alberts, Hana R. (11 May 2015). "Rent in NYC's Largest Apartment Building From $868/Month". Vox Media (Curbed). Retrieved 12 May 2015.
- Gould, Jennifer (27 February 2017). "Sports Illustrated stunner Nina Agdal is living in Midtown for now". New York Post.
- Gould, Jennifer (6 October 2016). "Knicks shooter rents $8K/month home court in Midtown". New York Post.
- Troester, Eva (9 May 2016). "YAYOI KUSAMA'S ARTWORK ON PERMANENT DISPLAY AT SKY". Downtown Magazine NYC.
- Schilling, Mary Kaye (10 June 2017). "NEW YORK IS CELEBRATING JOHN GIORNO, ONE OF LAST GREAT UNDERGROUND ARTISTS". Newsweek.