Located on the High Line at a spot known as the Chelsea Thicket, 512 West 22nd Street is a new office building inspired by its proximity to the park’s public space and its location with connection to and views of the Hudson River.
The building, designed via principles of biophilia, is unusual in that the planted areas of the roof, staircase, and terraces represent greater square footage than its footprint. 512 features over 15,000 sf of outdoor space. Landscaped terraces populated solely with native species are cut into the building’s profile on every floor. Continuous stepped terraces from levels two to four are designed for outdoor circulation, events, and other uses for tenants, while at the second and third floors the branches of the thicket meet the overhang above, margining into a canopy. In total, the planted areas represent 110% of the footprint of the building.
Designed to achieve LEED Gold certification, the architectural design includes resiliency features that can withstand 100-year food predictions, an integrated rooftop watering and grey water system, and signature interior columns.
The building’s exterior recalls the historical infrastructure and warehouse buildings of the neighborhood and the contemporary design that defines west Chelsea. The building features industrial sash-inspired windows and an anthracite terra-cotta, zinc, and granite facade. The custom terra-cotta profile rotates and opens at the curved edges of the building with glass that arcs around the corners, featuring operable windows that offer more direct control of the environment and access to outdoor air.
The offices include large, light-filled floors with overhead air distribution and filtering systems. Below the office space, the 22nd Street lobby includes a curated event space that can open onto the sidewalk when the pane-glass garage door is lifted. Off the lobby, a landscaped viewing garden offers a calming focal point at the elevator banks.
Related Stories
| Dec 12, 2014
COBE's striking 'concrete finned' scheme wins competition for Adidas' flagship building in Germany
Danish firm COBE has been announced the winner in a contest to design a new Adidas flagship building in Herzogenaurach, Germany. It beat out 29 other teams, including REX and Zaha Hadid.
| Dec 10, 2014
International Olympic Committee releases first images of new HQ in Switzerland
Designed by 3XN, the new headquarters is located within a park on the shores of Lake Geneva and adjacent to historic Château de Vidy, which has been the iconic home of the IOC.
| Dec 6, 2014
Future workplace designs shouldn’t need to favor one generation over another, says CBRE report
A new CBRE survey finds that what Millennials expect and need from offices doesn’t vary drastically from tenured employees.
| Dec 2, 2014
Nonresidential construction spending rebounds in October
This month's increase in nonresidential construction spending is far more consistent with the anecdotal information floating around the industry, says ABC's Chief Economist Anirban Basu.
| Nov 29, 2014
20 tallest towers that were never completed
Remember the Chicago Spire? What about Russia Tower? These are two of the tallest building projects that were started, but never completed, according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. The CTBUH Research team offers a roundup of the top 20 stalled skyscrapers across the globe.
| Nov 26, 2014
U.S. Steel decides to stay in Pittsburgh, plans new HQ near Penguins arena
The giant steelmaker has agreed to move into a new headquarters that is slated to be part of a major redevelopment.
| Nov 25, 2014
Behnisch Architekten unveils design for energy-positive building in Boston
The multi-use building for Artists For Humanity that is slated to be the largest energy positive commercial building in New England.
| Nov 25, 2014
Study: 85% of employees dissatisfied with their office environment
A vast majority of office workers feel open floor plans cause multiple distractions and that more private spaces are needed in today's offices, according to a new study by Steelcase and research firm IPSOS.
| Nov 24, 2014
Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill-designed crystalline tower breaks ground in southwestern China
Fitted with an LED façade, the 468-meter Greenland Tower Chengdu will act as a light sculpture for the city of Chengdu.
| Nov 18, 2014
New tool helps developers, contractors identify geographic risk for construction
The new interactive tool from Aon Risk Solutions provides real-time updates pertaining to the risk climate of municipalities across the U.S.