BIG to design New York pyramid-style residential scheme

Danish architect Bjarke Ingels Group (Big) is to take on its first US project, after being signed up by Durst Fetner Residential (DFR) to design West 57, the huge pyramid style residential building in New York.

The 600-unit scheme, named after its location on West 57th Street between 11th and 12th Avenues, will be a hybrid between the European perimeter block and a traditional Manhattan high-rise, according to Big.

The slope of the building will allow for a transition in scale between the low-rise structures to the south and the high-rise residential towers to the north and west of the site.

The sloping roof will consist of a simple ruled surface perforated by terraces, each one unique and south-facing. The fishbone pattern of the walls will also be reflected in its elevations.

By keeping three corners of the block low and lifting the north-east corner up towards its 467ft peak, the courtyard will open views towards the Hudson River.

Bjarke Ingels, founder of Big, said: “The building is conceived as a cross breed between the Copenhagen courtyard and the New York skyscraper.

“The communal intimacy of the central urban oasis meets the efficiency, density and panoramic views of the tall tower in a new hybrid typology.

“The courtyard is to architecture what Central Park is to urbanism: a giant green garden surrounded by a dense wall of spaces for living.”

Hal Fetner, chief executive of DFR, which is leading the construction of the scheme, added: “Big’s design is innovative, evocative and unique and the building’s beauty is matched only by its efficient and functional design that preserves existing view corridors while maximising the new building’s access to natural light and views of the Hudson River.”