731 Lexington Avenue Building vs 111 West 57th Street


Comparing the 731 Lexington Avenue Building and the 111 West 57th Street is interesting because they both rise in New York, NY, yet they were conceived by two different design teams, César Pelli & Associates and SHoP Architects, and were completed at different points in time. They were finished more than a decade apart.
This contrast within the same city allows us to see how different creative minds interpreted the evolving needs of New York across time.
Let's take a closer look!
Height & Size
The 111 West 57th Street is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 1427ft (435m) with 84 floors above ground, while the 731 Lexington Avenue Building reaches 814ft (248m) with 54 floors above ground.
Of course, each project may have faced different briefs or regulatory constraints, which we don't really know about and could also explain the outcome.
Architectural Style
Both the 731 Lexington Avenue Building and the 111 West 57th Street were designed in line with the aesthetic conventions of the Contemporary style.
At the time, this style was at the height of its popularity. So both César Pelli & Associates and SHoP Architects followed what was in many ways expected of them, producing designs that fit comfortably within contemporary architectural norms, rather than breaking with convention.
Uses
The 731 Lexington Avenue Building follows a mixed-use model, combining residential, retail and commercial. In contrast, the 111 West 57th Street has remained primarily residential.
In terms of capacity, the 731 Lexington Avenue Building offers 105 apartments, while the 111 West 57th Street provides 60 units.
Structure & Facade
Both the 731 Lexington Avenue Building and the 111 West 57th Street rely on a Frame structural system.
A frame structure uses a grid of columns and beams to carry the building's loads. This frees the walls from structural duties, allowing for flexible floor plans and larger windows.
They also employ the same type of facade, a Curtain Wall facade.
A curtain wall is a non-load-bearing facade hung from the structural frame. It is anchored to floor slabs and transfers only its own weight and wind loads, allowing for sleek, glassy exteriors.
731 Lexington Avenue Building | 111 West 57th Street | |
---|---|---|
César Pelli & Associates | Architect | SHoP Architects |
1998 | Design Started | 2012 |
2001 | Design Ended | 2015 |
2001 | Construction Started | 2015 |
2005 | Year Completed | 2022 |
Contemporary | Architectural Style | Contemporary |
Mixed | Current Use | Residential |
54 | Floors Above Ground | 84 |
3 | Floors Below Ground | 2 |
237 | Last Floor Height | 346 |
248 m | Height (m) | 435 m |
287 | Tip Height | 435 |
29 | Number of Elevators | 14 |
105 | Residential Units | 60 |
Frame | Structure Type | Frame |
Steel And Concrete | Vertical Structure Material | Reinforced Concrete |
Poured Concrete Over Metal Decking | Horizontal Structure Material | Reinforced Concrete |
No | Facade Structural? | Yes |
Glass, Steel | Main Facade Material | Glass, Terracota, Broze |
Bovis Lend Lease Ltd. | Main Contractor | JDS Construction Group |
Vornado Realty Trust | Developer | JDS Development Group |
Flack + Kurz | MEP Engineer | Jaros Baum & Bolles |
Thornton Tomasetti | Structural Engineer | WSP |
Larson Engineering | Facade Consultant | Buro Happold |
Jacques Grange | Interior Designer | Studio Sofield |
NY | State | NY |
New York | City | New York |
731 Lexington Avenue | Address | 111 West 57th Street |