Central Park Tower

Central Park Tower

Central Park Tower is a very tall residential building located at 217 West 57th Street in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City, New York, United States. It was designed by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture and stands 1,550 feet tall with 98 stories above ground and three basement stories. Though the top floor is numbered 136, it is the second-tallest building in New York City, behind One World Trade Center, and the tallest residential building in the world.

The building was developed by Extell Development Company and Shanghai Municipal Investment Group. The lower floors house a large Nordstrom store that opened in 2019. The residential part of the tower has 179 large apartments, each averaging about 5,000 square feet, designed by Rottet Studio. There are also special spaces for residents on floors 14 through 16 and a private club on floor 100.

Construction began after many delays and challenges, with excavations starting in May 2014 and building work beginning in early 2015. The tower was completed in 2020 at a cost of $3 billion, becoming an important part of New York City's skyline along Billionaires' Row.

Site

Central Park Tower is in the Midtown Manhattan area of New York City, United States. It is on the east side of Broadway, between 57th Street and 58th Street. The building is very close to Central Park and Columbus Circle. Nearby buildings include 1790 Broadway, 240 Central Park South, and 220 Central Park South.

This area is called Billionaires' Row because it has many tall, expensive buildings. Other famous buildings nearby are 432 Park Avenue, 111 West 57th Street, and One57.

In the past, this part of Broadway was known as "Automobile Row" and had many car showrooms and stores. Older buildings on the site included the former B. F. Goodrich Company showroom and the Stoddard-Dayton showroom. These buildings were replaced, and the land was later used for Central Park Tower.

Architecture

Central Park Tower was built by Extell and the Shanghai Municipal Investment Group. Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture designed it, with help from AAI Architects as the architect of record. WSP Global worked on the structure, and Lendlease was the main builder.

The building has 98 floors above ground and three basement levels. The top floor is numbered 136. The tallest part of the building is 1,550 feet (470 m) high. Central Park Tower is the tallest primarily residential building in the world. It is also the second-tallest skyscraper in the United States and the Western Hemisphere, the 15th-tallest building in the world, and the tallest building outside Asia by roof height.

The outside of Central Park Tower was designed to look nice in the sky. The Nordstrom store enters on 57th Street, and residents use an entrance on 58th Street. The tower has a special part that sticks out so people can see Central Park.

The bottom of the tower is made of glass. The higher floors have walls made of aluminum and glass. The building sits on strong rock, with a foundation of reinforced concrete. The superstructure is made of reinforced concrete and steel.

The building has 179 homes starting from the 32nd floor. These homes have two to eight bedrooms and range in size from 1,435 to 17,500 square feet. The building also has many places for residents to enjoy, like a lounge, pools, exercise rooms, and a private club called "The 100th Floor". The first five floors have a Nordstrom department store.

History

Planning

Extell started buying land for Central Park Tower in mid-2005. They bought two lots and got more space from nearby buildings. In 2006 and 2007, Extell bought even more space, making room for a big building.

Construction

Construction permits were filed in 2012, and the building was planned to be very tall. Digging began in 2014, and the foundation was poured in 2015. The design changed over the years, and plans for a spire were dropped.

The building had money problems, and Extell needed funding from investors. Construction kept going despite this. The building reached its full height in September 2019, becoming the tallest residential building in the world.

The building was finished by the end of 2021, with some final touches added in 2022. Apartments went on sale in 2019, and some were sold at lower prices because of market conditions.

Reception

Central Park Tower got mixed reviews while it was being built. When the building reached its full height in 2019, some people said it was just another tall building in New York City, even though it was very fancy. Others said it made a big statement because of how tall and modern it looked.

Some people also criticized the building. They worried that its shadow would cover parts of Central Park. Others felt that the tower showed the gap between rich and poor people in New York City.