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Hudson Yards Is Reshaping NYC's Skyline and Streetscape

Hudson Yards Is Reshaping NYC's Skyline and Streetscape

New York City‘s waterfront Hudson Yards development is a big deal—literally. The largest private real estate development in the history of the United States, the project comprises 17 million square feet of commercial and residential space and 14 acres of public open space. Hudson Yards is having “a catalytic effect in terms of kicking off an entire new neighborhood,” said Related Companies‘ Michael Samuelian.

(Related and Oxford Properties Group have partnered with a number of high-profile architecture firms to design and build the project.) “We don’t just focus on a building, but on the relationships between buildings—the spaces between the buildings themselves are just as important.” Samuelian and KPF‘s William Pedersen, whose firm is designing three skyscrapers for Hudson Yards, will deliver up-to-date information on the work in progress at next month’s Facades+NYC conference.

Hudson Yards promises to reshape the city on multiple scales. On the larger end, “the development of Hudson Yards fills a void in Manhattan’s fabric which has prevented the city from having a dialogue with the Hudson River,” explained Pedersen. Related commissioned a wide slate of architects “to purposely create variety and juxtaposition, which is the dominant characteristic of Manhattan’s iconic skyline,” he said.

As important as Hudson Yards’ impact on New York City’s skyline, said Samuelian, is its capacity to create a welcoming streetscape. “We put considerable effort into ensuring we have warm, appropriate materials below 150 feet,” he said. “Each building changes as it comes down to grade to give civility to the skyscrapers, to make them more humane participants in the street life of the city.” Pedersen concurred. “The dominant characteristic of our buildings is their gestural capacity,” he said. “They do not stand in isolation but rather seek an active relationship with every aspect of the context they engage, including the pedestrian on the street.”

Catch up with Samuelian, Pedersen, and other AEC industry leaders reshaping New York’s built environment at Facades+NYC. Register today to secure your space at the symposium and in a lab or dialog workshop of your choice.

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