New York City To Get Its Very Own Pyramid

We have some BIG news! The architectural wonderboy has done it again: Bjarke Ingels will soon be moving forward with a pyramid building along Manhattan’s west side.

Real estate giant Douglas Durst has long be pondering what to do with his almost entire block of land at 57th street and the Hudson River, and after plans for a data center, a school, and even a hip hotel fell through, BIG stepped in to create the most unique building on the strip.

Last week, city planning commissioner Amanda Burden gave her official stamp of approval for the project, which is sure to become a hot spot for shopping, dining, and—last not but least—living!

The pyramid slopes up to 38 stories, with a giant courtyard, almost the size of a football field, cut out of the center. The cutout is not only a never-before-seen feature tucked inside the facade of a New York City tower; it also provides each and every apartment a terrace.

The city’s only complication with the design was street-level integration. In an attempt to meld this new monstrosity into the Manhattan landscape, the city demanded it contain more room for shopping and dining. BIG complied and now the new complex will contain a number of retail, dining, and institutional spaces at the base of the building, making the entire surrounding area a new and enlivened neighborhood.

[via the observer]