Plans submitted to the city have the full reveal of TF Cornerstone’s 606 West 57th Street, and the new development is going to be massive; the building will have a total of 1,189 units, which will make it the largest apartment building in New York City.

The Atelier II looked like it had the potential to take that title, but that tower will only have 1,100 units. The only other comparative structures are 3333 Broadway and the London Terrace Apartments in Chelsea, though both complexes are composed of multiple buildings.

606 West 57th Street will be composed of multiple boxes, proving the cantilever craze is now at full throttle; it seems that even when overhangs aren’t necessary, they are becoming a common feature to new construction. Though what’s necessary is obviously up for debate, the ‘stacking’ of 606 West 57th’s elements will help to create a building that isn’t completely overbearing, allowing light and air through the structure itself.

The environmental impact statement lays out two possibilities for the site. The first plan would include 1,189 units of housing as well as 42,000 square feet of ground-floor retail and a garage for up to 500 cars; the second version would reduce the residential space to 848 units, while adding a 285-room hotel, over 60,000 additional square feet of retail, and medical offices. Either option will prove beneficial to the neighborhood, which currently lacks pedestrian activity and a truly urban scale.

The site is currently occupied by several low-slung buildings, and now that plans are apparently moving forward, demolition should be imminent. Across 57th Street, another transformative residential project – The Pyramid – is also moving forward. Most of the attention 57th Street receives is focused between Broadway and Park Avenue, but the street’s largest developments are, in fact, on the Hudson River.

Completion of 606 West 57th Street is expected in 2017, and the building will stand just over 40 stories tall – it is clear height is not the focus here, and the structure is about sheer density. Whether the tower’s different blocks have separate addresses also remains to be seen – though it would seem likely.

The rendered version of 606 West 57th must survive ULURP if it is to be built, but once that occurs – which is likely, as The Pyramid also had to endure the process – construction can begin.

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