At approximately 280,000-sf, The Smile, a new mixed-use development design by Bjarke Ingles Group, bridges Harlem’s active 125th Street corridor and the quieter 126th Street.
The project will combine a nursing school on the street level with residential apartment units above. One-third of the apartments will be affordable units. The project’s T-shaped footprint will offer a diverse set of unit sizes and layouts while also strengthening the connection with neighboring buildings. The southern cantilevered portion of the building will appear to hover over the existing commercial building on 125h Street, creating a dynamic component in the evolving uptown streetscape.
Interior spaces comprise raw architectural materials such as wood, exposed concrete, and exposed steel trusses. Entrances are tiled with splashes of colored concrete that draws inspiration from the neighborhood’s murals.
Building amenities include a fitness center, a media room, relaxation spas, social lounges, and workspaces that overlook a three-story gallery. Located on the roof will be whirlpool spas, a swimming pool, and roof decks surrounded by landscaped features that provide space for social activities and gatherings.
The building’s facade gently slopes inwards as it rises, softening the hard linear street edge. This design allows the building massing to comply with the city’s zoning envelope while also enabling the residential street to have more direct sunlight. The interlocking checkerboard facade panel system allows for floor-to-ceiling windows in each residential unit.
Related Stories
Mixed-Use | Dec 18, 2019
BIG unveils River Street Waterfront Master Plan for Williamsburg
The project is a collaboration between BIG, Two Trees Management, and James Corner Field Operations.
Mixed-Use | Nov 26, 2019
Chicago’s first citizenM hotel to be part of Sterling Bay’s mixed-use Michigan Ave. development
bKL will serve as the project’s lead architect.
Multifamily Housing | Oct 25, 2019
Chicago’s long-gestating luxury condo tower nears construction
Helmut Jahn designed the project.
Mixed-Use | Oct 22, 2019
The LINK PHX mixed-use development opens in Downtown Phoenix
Shepley Bulfinch designed the project.
Mixed-Use | Oct 18, 2019
BIG designs new vertical neighborhood for South America’s greenest capital
The project is Bjarke Ingels Group’s second in Ecuador.
Mixed-Use | Oct 16, 2019
River Rock mixed-use community breaks ground in Chattanooga
The Beach Company is developing the project.
Mixed-Use | Oct 15, 2019
Skybridges connect SOM’s two trapezoidal Buenos Aires towers
The project aims to become the center of activity in the city’s Catalinas Norte business district expansion.
Mixed-Use | Oct 9, 2019
OMA’s KaDeWe combines retail, a hotel, and a rooftop park in one building
The project will establish urban connections and public spaces through its own internal organization.
Mixed-Use | Oct 1, 2019
KPF breaks ground on West Lake 66 mixed-use development in Hangzhou
The project hopes to reinvigorate the city’s deteriorated surrounding blocks.
Mixed-Use | Sep 16, 2019
Heatherwick Studio designs a giant planted pergola in Tokyo’s Toranomon-Azabudai district
Japan’s tallest skyscraper, designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli, is also part of the district’s redevelopment.