In the News

Diamonds Over the Park

Studio Gang’s Solar Carve reaches completion

Studio Gang’s 40 Tenth Avenue, also known as the Solar Carve Tower, has reached completion. Located adjacent to the High Line between West 13th and 14th Streets, the 10-story, 160,000-square-foot office building is characterized by its signature, gem-like curtain wall. Developed via the firm’s ongoing tall building research, “solar carving” involves using incident angles of the sun’s rays to sculpt a building’s form. The glazing system has been geometrically optimized into a pattern of three-dimensional facets that articulate the carved sections of the tower. The curtain wall unit is composed of a central diamond-shaped panel tilting downward, surrounded by four triangular pieces that are perpendicular to the slab to achieve standard stack joints. The carved curtain wall not only blocks sun glare and heat gain but also creates private terraces. The project creates 20,000 square feet of outdoor spaces, including a shared roof deck and a second-floor public gathering space adjacent to the High Line. It also boasts around 40,000 square feet of retail space on 10th Avenue. The building team includes Arup (structural engineer, façade, acoustical, and daylighting consultant), GEA Consulting Engineers (MEP/FP, sustainability consultant), and HMWhite (landscape architect). 40 Tenth Avenue is developed by Aurora Capital Associates and William Gottlieb Real Estate.

Towers More Like Cousins than Twins

PAU releases designs for Schuylkill Yards towers

Architectural designs for the first two ground-up, mixed-use towers in Schuylkill Yards in Philadelphia were recently released. Practice for Architecture and Urbanism | PAU is designing the East and West Towers, which are designed as cousins. When designing the Towers, PAU was inspired by the materials and textures of Schuylkill Yards, such as the windows of the old Pennsylvania Railroad railcars and the distinct red sandstone, brick, and terra-cotta of the landmark Fisher Fine Arts Library at the University of Pennsylvania. The East and West Tower feature floor-to-ceiling glazed windows framed by a vibrant weave of painted aluminum. The West Tower’s exterior façade is clad in neutral tones, while the East Tower’s bold red palette adds a pop of color to the West Philadelphia skyline. The East Tower adopts strategic massing principles to create a building that is visually appealing and maximizes the buildable footprint, while mitigating wind and adding opportunity for accessible greenspace and improved sight lines. The massing changes from differing vantage points, appearing more “classic” when viewed from Center City and more exuberant from other vantage points. The East Tower contains 34 floors of office space, 7,000 square feet of retail, and a dedicated amenity level on the 14th floor. The design of the West Tower responds to the scale and rhythms of the neighboring East Tower. Rising at more than 360 feet, the West Tower will offer 9,000 square feet of retail, 219,000 square feet of residential, 200,000 square feet of office space, and covered parking. The ninth floor of the tower will be a fully dedicated luxury amenity floor. Both towers will be elevated atop a foundation of fluted pedestals, forming a series of architecturally significant archways. Developed by Brandywine Realty Trust, and envisioned in partnership with Drexel University, Schuylkill Yards transforms 14 acres adjacent to Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station, replacing parking lots with a neighborhood of parks, lifestyle experiences, and workspaces.

X Marks the Spot

OMA New York and OLIN to design Bridge Park in DC

Thanks to a recent corporate gift, the 11th Street Bridge Park in Washington, DC, which will span the Anacostia River, is on its way to being realized. Designed by OMA New York and Philadelphia-based OLIN, the forthcoming 1.45-mile park has been in the works since 2014. The park will connect two historically disparate sides of the river with a series of outdoor programmed spaces and active zones. Extending over the river, the Anacostia paths join to form a loop, linking the opposing banks in a single gesture. The intersection point of the two paths shapes the central meeting point of the bridge, which will be an open plaza that provides a flexible venue for markets, festivals, and theatrical performances held throughout the year. Paths from each side operate as springboards—sloped ramps that elevate visitors to maximized lookout points for views of landmarks in either direction. They further enhance the bridge as a hub of activity, providing a sequence of zones designated for play, relaxation, learning, and gathering. These platforms simultaneously provide shade and shelter for the café on the southeast side and the performance space and hammock grove on the northwest side. At each side, a waterfall marks their terminus and reconnects them to the river below. On the east side, this waterfall is linked to an active filtration system that, together with new wetland areas, works to actively clean the river around the Anacostia Crossing.

This Just In

The AIANY Women in Architecture Committee has initiated collaborations with two AIA Chapters across the US. On Wednesday, September 11, committee members will be hosting an informal Women in Architecture Design Salon in Minneapolis as a kickoff to the Women’s Leadership Summit 2019. On Friday, September 27, the Committee is heading to New Orleans for a full-day symposium of design presentations and practice exchange in collaboration with AIA New Orleans Women in Architecture.